Florida RV Supershow

The North American RV industry is a huge $25 billion dollar industry, shipping over a half a million RV’s annually, from motorhomes to towables. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 7% predicted over the next several years and with more and more millennials joining the 55+ baby boomers in this recreational craze, the market will only get bigger. If your one of these half million people owning or considering owning an RV, the place to be in January, since 1983, is the Florida RV Supershow in Tampa Florida.

The Florida RV Supershow is one of the largest and most popular RV shows in the United States. The show features hundreds of exhibitors, showcasing a wide range of RVs, from motorhomes, travel trailers and fifth-wheel trailers to campervans and pop-up campers. The exhibition spans multiple buildings and outdoor spaces, making it a massive event for those interested in the RV lifestyle. So, when we were invited to attend as guests of Forest River, we moved on down the road a piece to Tampa!

Working in tech for all of my career, I’ve been to a lot of big trade shows… or so I thought. This thing is huge, sprawled out across the Florida State Fairgrounds open areas and exhibit buildings where vendors line every aisle selling everything from RV accessories to campground memberships. You can easily wear out a pair of sneakers perusing all there is to see for a couple of days. It’s so easy to get lost as you wander around, but maybe that’s part of the strategy, as there is something new to see round every corner.

As guests of the Forest River Georgetown team, we spent considerable time speaking with many folks considering purchasing a Georgetown, some as an upgrade to a current RV and others just entering the RV space for the first time. Shannon and I really enjoyed sharing our experiences (and hearing theirs) with living full-time in our Georgetown motorhome for three years now. We also enjoyed meeting many people from the Georgetown RV Owners Group (GROG) that we manage.

We purchased our motorhome in 2021 in the middle of the COVID pandemic. We didn’t have the luxury of going to a show like this and literally stepping from one coach to the next to see and compare. Heck, there was barely any inventory at dealers back then because the supply simply couldn’t keep up with the demand. So, this was a bit of making up for lost time with us. I was like a kid in a candy store! Seeing models that were on our short list along with the Georgetown for the first time in person was enlightening. I walked away with a new sense of comfort and confirmation that all of that research landed us in the right place with our Georgetown.

I believe every industry needs the “disrupters” to continually raise the bar and challenge the status quo. I was glad to see some of those at the show as well. For example, Brinkley, a new manufacture of 5th wheel trailers and an ownership with a reputation for quality, is building RV’s at a standard more like a high-end automobile rather than an RV – and at an affordable price. We also saw the first front engine diesel class A motorhome at the show. Kudos to those manufactures willing to take a risk!

The RV industry attracts all walks of life, which is one of the things I love about it. Whether you own a $2 million dollar custom Prevost or a $20 thousand dollar popup, we are all alike in our love for travel, nature and the peace and tranquility of RV life. This RV industry in the US supports over 600,000 jobs and contributes over $50 billion dollars to the tourism industry annually, which makes it very relevant. But for us, as one of over a million people living full-time in our motorhome, it’s simply a vessel to explore and see the amazing things that this country has to offer.

We hope to see you down the road a piece.