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The 1999 RV Shows : Something for Everyone© Thomas Stephens Sr.
Oct 26, 1999
Where in the world did this year go? I believe it's true that the older you get, the faster time passes by! This year's camping season is gone-but not forgotten-and 'tis fall once again. As I wrote last year, each October my wife Pam and I take a day to visit our area's annual RV show. The 47th Annual California RV Show was held at the Pomona Fairplex between October 15th and the 24th. Enjoying the nice Southern California fall weather (temperatures in the mid-nineties!), we spent six exciting hours walking through the many RV displays and dodging nice polite and persistent sales representatives-and sweating. There was no way we could see it all, but there were a number of very nice units we did tour. I'll tell you about a few of the RVs we think are excellent buys. Call them "Tom's preferred picks"!
Pop-up Tent TrailersOf the many makes of folding campers, Coleman by Fleetwood and Damon provide the best overall quality. Coleman has been synonymous with excellence for many years-and still is. Their Grand Tour Elite Series is the top of the line. The Niagara (2,688 lbs. base wt.) offers two king-size beds, a slide-out, plus endless special features and extras. Coleman's construction and warranty are outstanding. A relative newcomer to the pop-up industry, Damon's Camplite 2000 Fold Down Series is an excellent entry to this crowded class of campers. It will prove to be a strong competitor for Coleman-mark my word! The quality of their units is apparent with only a quick look, and the trailer decors are eye popping. The SL and SLE lines are ever bit as good as Coleman's-and maybe better. The Damon Camplite really tickled my fancy! The Half-BreedsLast year a new breed of camper / RV came on the scene. An "odd bird", as Jayco calls it, the travel trailer with fold-out end beds (like a tent trailer) is half pop-up and half hard-sided trailer. They have become very popular, and Jayco's Kiwi is one of the best. Weighing about 3,235 lbs. and 23 feet in length, the Kiwi offers amenities from both worlds. Damon, by the way, also has a very nice unit in their Camplite Ultra 2000 (model 21CD: 2,620 lbs., 22 ft.).Another class (?) of RV is the low profile, solid construction, slide-down trailers (I'm lost for a proper name.). Trailmanor and Towlite by Hi-Lo build excellent quality, light weight units with comfortable decors. The upper half of these units literally slides down over the lower portion, providing great towing with minivans, jeeps and the like. Their only drawback is they are quite expensive.
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Appreciate your post and glad you liked the graphics! That area of Washington is certainly conducive to camping and the outdoors life! Hope you are able to get "out-there" one day soon!Thanks, ...
-- posted by Tom_Stephens
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Jerri,We too had not camped for several years. We had a tent trailer for a few years when we lived in Indiana, then when we moved to Oregon we used it a few times before we sold it and stopped cam ...
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We used to do a lot of camping, as a matter of fact, in a Coleman tent trailer. Then we bought up to a truck and camper - we lived in Utah for several years and saw all the beautiful parks that way.
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