This is the second RV show this year, the first being in February. Tickets typically run $13.00 per person with $2.00 discount tickets online. Surprisingly, on the first day of the show, the ticket price per person was $10.00.  The parking at Market Hall is free and you’ll know why when you get inside their lot – it’s pretty shabby.  Due to the discounted prices at the show, this may be the best $13.00 you will ever spend.

Plan to spend at least three hours if this is your first RV show. There are an incredible number of trailers to visit.  Remember that if you are looking to buy a trailer, you really ought to go with a list of items that are “must haves”.  If you don’t take that list, chances are you are going to miss something that was really important to you, like a pantry, or a place for a garbage can. For a pretty comprehensive list on what to look for when you are buying a trailer look at our previous blog.

As we have mentioned before, there really is a travel trailer for everyone at the RV show.  No matter what your budget or what tow vehicle you have, you will find something you like. I have to say there were a few models there that really surprised my from a pricing standpoint.

This show isn’t just travel trailers, it runs the full gambit of the RV lifestyle.  Everything from huge motor coach models down to the smallest camper, they are all here.Don’t think smaller means less expensive, there are some pretty expensive small trailers out there.  Take for instance the Airstreams tiny basecamp model – $33,988.00 dollars, and that’s already discounted by $4,398.00.

Airstream’s base camp model travel trailer

While this Basecamp model is very attractive, I don’t know many people that would pay $34,000 on a trailer that small.

You can buy a lot more trailer for that kind of money. I’m sure this trailer has a following.  One thing I will say about airstream, they don’t have a lot of space. However, the construction is top-notch. Now for a nice entry-level trailer for a small family, there are many choices. Take for instance the Keystone Hideout. This trailer comes in under $15000.00 with a bunk house and a queen bed.  Even though it is on the small side, you are getting all the amenities and it only weighs 3700 pounds.

The Keystone Hideout

Keystone Hideout Queen Bed

The Keystone Hideout Dinette

Keystone Hideout Kitchen/Bunk Area

This is just an all-around nice trailer for a family that does not want or need a lot of space but still wants a decent bathroom, a nice bunk area. It’s also a trailer light enough to tow with an SUV.  Let’s face it, 3700 pounds is a very towable unit.

Tired of the show inside? There’s a lot more RV’s outside!

One of the things that was a little disappointing this year was the lack of Manufacturing Representatives at the Thursday show. It may just be that they plan on being there Friday through Sunday. However, it would have been nice to have talked to a few.  Really, we didn’t see anything at this years show that seemed like something new and inventive.  We did see that the stairs on many models have changed to the fold up rigid steps. It is an improvement, but I don’t really want that mess in my trailer.  It was nice to see that Jayco has gone to the Goodyear Endurance tires, and we wish every manufacturer would.  There also seems to be a big emphasis on the blue LED lights. I have to say that’s getting a little old.

You will hear some experts say “Never buy an RV at an RV show”.  Their words are really aimed at first time buyers that go to a show and get seduced into buying an RV, without any knowledge.  Once these buyers get the RV and start using it, they find they made some fundamental mistakes in what they really needed in an RV.   However, if you are in the market for a new RV and you really have done your research, and the pricing seems to be quite advantageous, then go to the show!

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Tammy and I had been tent camping for years before we had children.  Our favorite place to tent camp was Devils Lake State Park in Wisconsin.  The sites were all wooded and private with a supply of water which allowed me to brew coffee and wash dishes.  We loved camping and when Jennifer was born it wasn’t long before she was camping with us.  Jeff followed four years later and then the whole family was camping in a big cabin tent with a tent heater (when necessary).  Although there was a lot of work involved in setting up camp, we all enjoyed it.

Then came June of 1989.  We headed north to do some camping at St Ignace State Park in Michigan.  Tammy and I had camped here a couple of times before we had the kids,  and really enjoyed it.  When I packed the gear for the trip I left the tent heater at home.  I was thinking it was too warm to drag it along, and that ended up being a huge mistake.

The first night in the tent, the kids slept like rocks while the temps dipped into the low forties.  Tammy and I slept very little primarily out of concern for the kids; but in their sleeping bags they seemed to be warm enough.  The next morning as we sat by the fire, the radio announced a freeze warning in effect for that evening.  That was all I needed to hear; we packed up the gear and checked into a hotel.  It was the last time we camped in a tent;  and the first time we talked about getting a travel trailer.

1971 Jayco JayWren and Jennifer and Jeff

As soon as we got home, we started our search for a used travel trailer.   Tammy had been camping in travel trailers with her folks since she was quite young.   This gave us a good starting point since she had an idea of what we should look for.  She thought that we should shop for a somewhat basic trailer at first to make sure everyone liked it.  That way we wouldn’t spent too much money on something we might not use.

Our first stop was an large RV dealership very close to our house.  After looking at a number of older used units, we settled on a 1971 Jayco JayWren.  It was sixteen feet long with no bathroom.  Not having a bathroom would be fine,  because being tent campers we were already used to that.   After all this was an experiment to see if we would like it as much as tent camping. As long as it had the fundamentals like a furnace and refrigerator, I would be happy.

Since it was 18 years old it would need some work.   It needed new tires, curtains, and new dinette cushions.  Overall it was a nice solid trailer so we bought it.  It looked like the days of freezing in a tent were over.

The next few weeks I spent changing tires, wheel bearings, and painting the exterior of the trailer.  Meanwhile, Tammy worked on renovating the inside of the camper.   Then it was finally time to take the JayWren on a trip and see how we liked that type of travel.

So after a week-long journey in South Dakota’s Black Hills we knew that the experiment had been a success.  This was so much better than setting up a tent and screen room;  not to mention having a place to cook and eat (and a furnace).  I loved the fact that I was no longer packing wet tents.  We were  no longer waking up with damp clothing.   Although we loved the JayWren we quickly realized we needed a bathroom.  A year later we upgraded to a 1990 Sprinter Travel Trailer with bunks for the kids.   The RV Dealership gave us exactly what we paid for the JayWren when we trader her in.

View of the Campground

For that first trip we decided to stay at the Mount Rushmore KOA .  The Mount Rushmore KOA was a great campground in the early 1990’s.  Even then there was plenty do at camp like rent bikes, go horse back riding, and spend time at their large playground area.   We have stayed many times since and have seen it turn into a much larger campground.  It is so large that it no longer has decent sized camping sites.  It has become more like a parking lot than a campground.  Unfortunately,  it is not a KOA we could recommend and not one we will visit.  Some people may like that type of camping, but it is not for us.

On our most recent trip to the Black Hills in July of 2018  we stayed at the Fort Welikit Campground.  This is a campground located in Custer South Dakota, about 20 minutes from Mount Rushmore.  For more information on Fort Welikit campground  click here.

Mount Rushmore Monument

Nearby you’ll find the small towns of Hill City and Keystone, and a steam train (the Black Hills Central Railroad) that you can use to shuttle between the two.   Round trip tickets are about $28.00 per person but well worth it. Both Hill City and Keystone are very touristy but nice.  Don’t underestimate how much you and your family will enjoy the train ride.

Jennifer and Jeff at the Custer State Park Tunnel

Just to the south of the campground is Custer State Park.  Winding roads and beautiful views are common place at this park.  Over one thousand bison roam the park, along with elk, deer, goats, antelope and Turkeys.  Custer State Park also has campgrounds, but we haven’t stayed at any yet…next time!

Buffalo

More wildlife along the way to camp

Visitors to this area can also view the Crazy Horse Memorial, which has been a work in process since 1948.

Jennifer and Jeff in the Badlands

The Badlands – A must see!!!

The badlands are a couple of hours to the east and are a must see!  We always make sure that we drive through the badlands on the way to or the way back from camping in the black hills.  The Badlands National Park has roads that weave in and around the badlands.  There are many areas where you can pull over and take pictures. There is also a restaurant located in the park.

The Badlands/White River KOA in Interior, South Dakota (2006)

If you feel like camping in the badlands (and we did the last time we were there), there are a number of campgrounds either near or inside the park area.  We chose the Badlands/White River KOA.  We have been here a number of times and have seen it grow into a much larger campground then when we first had reservations there.  To learn more about this KOA click here.

Most of the folks that read my blog know that I voice my opinion when a KOA doesn’t meet my expectations.  This KOA has exceeded our expectations and I think it will exceed yours as well.  It’s very well maintained with room between sites, and very nice owners.  I highly recommend this KOA.  Keep in mind, you wont be able to see the badlands from the campground but they are only five minutes down the road.

There have been 7 more travel trailers since that first trip with the JayWren, all tailored a little differently to our changing life style.  Jennifer and Jeff have grown up and married so the part of traveling with the “kids” is for the most part over.  Now we travel with our floor children, Hannah a White Shepherd, and Kendra, a German Shepherd.  I’m convinced that there is no better way to see the country than with a travel trailer.  

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