Hershey RV show Hershey Penna September 14, 2016, 08:45:32 pm Sadly the only brand not represented here is Lazy Daze. Born Free, Nexus, Gulfstream, Coachman, Holiday Ramber, Fleetwood, Winnebago, Jayco, and Forest River are all manufacturers that produce Class C motorhomes and bring lots of inventory via a broad network of dealers. It was fun to walk through many of these as well as everything from a high end DP to a small travel trailer. Highly recommend this show as a focal point of a visit to the New York tri state area. The Poconos are beautiful and not crowded after Labor Day. Pennsylvania Dutch cooking is the best you'll find anywhere. If you're in the market for a new RV and not 100% sure on going LD, this kind of a show is a great way to cover a lot of territory in a few days time. Lots of vendors and seminars making the $5 senior admission a bargain on the first day. Hopefully it will be a little cooler tommorrow, The Giant Center is air conditioned and provides an escape from the heat when needed. Dry camping is closeby, too hot for us we are in a FHU CG. Saw a Blue and White RB in the parking lot upon arrival. This show should be on every serious RV'ers bucket list! It's just darn fun!http://www.prvca.org/LargestRVShowbuttonpage2010/tabid/212/language/en-US/Default.aspx 1 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #1 – September 16, 2016, 09:41:28 am Hi Todd, glad you are enjoying the show in Hershey. We went several times looking at various models and types before our LD purchase. We also visited the LD factory a few times prior to purchase. That allowed us to compare the LD and use it as our "standard" to which the others were compared. There was no comparison.At Hershey is where we found that some Class A rigs would be overloaded with just the 4 members of our adult family on board, without any stuff. We talked to other visitors at the show, and found out that many were enticed by "eye-candy" and not on common sense. Hope you are gaining knowledge. 2 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #2 – September 16, 2016, 10:36:19 am I learned that this is a "manufacturer's show". According to a sales guy I talked to, the manufacturers own all the inventory on the football fields and partner with various dealers to move it. The good part of that is that if you have questions, you can ask your questions to actual employee reps from the manufacturer. Most of the sales people I talked to know very little about the product they are selling. If their jobs were like a high school term paper, they would spend hours learning everything they could about their product line BEFORE the show. This might give them some credibility with anyone interested in making a purchase! My own personal disappointment was Nexus. (I wouldn't touch one.) There were obvious design issues (see review in MH mag) and sloppy work in some areas. They empasize dark woods which turn me off completely. The company has a big ego and thinks they are great, but the product I saw didn't meet my expectations. Born Free was on display, big price, emphasis on wood everywhere, and less space than a LD.
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #3 – September 16, 2016, 11:21:03 am I believe the only RV show that Lazy Daze attends is the California RV Show at the Pomona Fairplex, CA which will be on Oct 7-16th this year. Born Free and all the mass produced coaches attend also so it's a good place to do some comparison shopping! Information for Guests - RVIA 64th Annual California RV Show
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #4 – September 16, 2016, 11:29:42 am However, looking at the manufacturer list on the website, I don't see Lazy Daze. Somebody please correct me if wrong.
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #5 – September 16, 2016, 11:33:05 am When you have to put potential buyers of a list in order to allow them to sign a contract to take delivery a year+ in the future, there would not seem to be a need to attend any RV show.Why waste the money?Ef
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #6 – September 16, 2016, 11:39:48 am There's a RV Show this weekend in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I took a look at which manufacturers will be present, the cost of parking, entrance fee, driving in traffic for 80 miles round trip, large crowds, and sales people and decided there is not enough time left in life to spend it on that kind of endeavor. I guess I'm turning into a curmudgeon despite my best efforts to avoid that condition. On the other hand, I do appreciate Todd's Hersey RV pictures viewed from the comfort of my computer chair. And so it goes. 2 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #7 – September 16, 2016, 12:48:23 pm Although Lazy Daze will most likely be missing from the Pomona Show, I'd be curious to see the Born Free rigs.Not because I would want one, but to satisfy my curiosity. They seem overloaded with "timber" in the interior and I really don't care for the appearance of the exterior, however many members of LDO feel they carry a lot of credibility. Although in the world of "swoops & swirls" they are a big contender.So, with that, I wouldn't mind taking a peak. Don't think my schedule will allow, but maybe I can squeak in some time. Kent 1 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #8 – September 16, 2016, 01:07:31 pm Quote from: Kent Heckethorn - September 16, 2016, 12:48:23 pmAlthough Lazy Daze will most likely be missing from the Pomona Show, I'd be curious to see the Born Free rigs.Not because I would want one, but to satisfy my curiosity. They seem overloaded with "timber" in the interior and I really don't care for the appearance of the exterior, however many members of LDO feel they carry a lot of credibility. Although in the world of "swoops & swirls" they are a big contender.So, with that, I wouldn't mind taking a peak. Don't think my schedule will allow, but maybe I can squeak in some time. KentLast I checked, RV Consumer Group had a high opinion of BF also. 1 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #9 – September 16, 2016, 01:58:07 pm When we started our search for an RV we went to a show here in Seattle. It was a manufacturer's show. We looked at EVERY vehicle there, we knew NOTHING about RV's and wanted to educate ourselves. We kept going back to one RV that stood above all others in terms of quality and our wants/needs. That was the Born Free, Built for Two. The guy they had as their rep, just basically sat there....he took our name to send us a DVD, but we ended up calling about a year later as we had not received our DVD yet. This was before they had forged their selling relationship with Lazy Days (Florida). Apparently the guy was some big wig in the company, I'm sure he could have answered any question we had - but wasn't so good at the little tasks, like "salesman" and getting us our DVD. So basically the Born Free is great because of their quality (solid wood vs particle board) and safety (they basically have a roll cage). I'm not sure how things are now, but 10+ years back RV's were just one division of their company. They also made ambulances and SWAT vehicles etc... It was nice to know that if we accidentally rolled our RV, that there was a good chance we would walk away. In that context price wasn't an issue. As time goes on, we had kids and started looking at how we actually would use the RV. With four people (and a golden retriever) in our family, the Built for Two was out. We had looked at various other companies, found Lazy Daze and decided that was the best option as our family mobile. 😀Born Free now has a selling relationship with Lazy Days out of Florida and I believe they make many more RV's than they used to, so I'm not sure if the quality is the same as it used to be or not. 1 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #10 – September 16, 2016, 02:30:59 pm "When you have to put potential buyers of a list in order to allow them to sign a contract to take delivery a year+ in the future, there would not seem to be a need to attend any RV show."----Bingo. LD's business model is very different from every other class C manufacturer, and, despite there having been some "down" years in production along the way, the "operational basics" have not changed too much over the past 60 years. As long as LD can get chassis, retain a skilled workforce, and buyers are (currently) willing to order, pay, and wait for everything they can produce, why pitch for additional business? I originally chose a Lazy Daze over other class C rigs that I considered (among them Born Free, Chinook, and Big Foot; the latter two are no longer in business or are not making a class C.), and went with an LD because I felt it was the highest quality/best built class C available, it was a factory-direct, clean, no "horsing around with price games" transaction, and there were no dealers anywhere in sight! I worked with Ed (in itself a unique experience, but we got along fine, I suspect because I was firm on what I wanted.) I ordered the TK in early April, 2003 and took delivery in November; a 7-month wait was standard at the time. No rig is perfect; every brand, every model, every model year and/or production run has "warts". My LD did, and a few are still there.) Chassis change. Production techniques and materials change. Some changes are improvements, some are just changes. And, all too often these days, some once solid, high quality, well-designed and built products have been cheapened by cutting as many production corners as possible in order to crank out the volume of junk that usually rolls off the line with a multi-page punch list as standard equipment! While it's true that I don't care for a few of the changes that LD has made, if I were in the market today for a new class C, there would be no question that I would do the same thing today that my research indicated as the best choice 13 years ago: cut to the chase, head to Montclair, and place the order. As ever, YMMV.Joan 4 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #11 – September 16, 2016, 02:41:01 pm A note on Born Free: Born Free Motorcoach was sold to HBF Industries in January 2105. (The founder, John Dodgen, was ill at the time.) As I recall, BF had gone from a "factory direct" company to using a network of selling dealers some time before the company was sold. I don't know how, or if, the quality of the product has been affected by the changes in ownership or distribution/sales venues.
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #12 – September 16, 2016, 08:14:53 pm I did receive the DVD from Born Free that I requested when shopping for a rig. Reviewing the DVD convinced me that the BFs appeared to be quality built at that time (2005-2008). But, that corner bed feature would just not work for us. The couch/beds in the rear of the mid-bath work very well for our needs.
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #13 – September 16, 2016, 09:48:12 pm Dodgen died and the family sold to some investors in the Des Moines area. However, Dodgen's son is still with the company and I believe the quality of their vehicles remains good. They are trying to sell more of them away from the cornfields of Iowa so they have established a dealer network toward the coasts. No shame in that.They now do slides so I don't know if that compromises the safety feature of the roll bars to any degree or not. As to slides I lust after them and am repulsed by them. I lust after the extra room and am repulsed by the endless threads about problems with them in other forums.I live in Omaha so they aren't that far away but I've never done a tour. The only tour I've done is in Montclair California and that's all I needed to see. Is there a better rig made out there? Perhaps but who cares. If what you have rocks your world then you are through looking around. That's us. Happy campers in a 2004 26 1/2' rear kitchen Lazy Daze!!Happy camping, Dave 3 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #14 – September 16, 2016, 10:16:48 pm Quote from: huskerblue - September 16, 2016, 09:48:12 pm "...As to slides I lust after them and am repulsed by them. I lust after the extra room and am repulsed by the endless threads about problems with them in other forums..." "...The only tour I've done is in Montclair California and that's all I needed to see. Is there a better rig made out there?..."Slide outs...Nothing like a huge hole in the side of your rig. Just seems like there is something wrong with that equation. Couple that with their theatre stage appearance and I shudder at the thought of them. I wonder if they qualify for a "bells & whistles" award?I've been to a few auto and boat shows and am curious of what an RV show looks like. It's gotta be fun. As showrooms go, I too have only been to one. The one that really matters to me-LD.The RV industry, as a whole, has a lot to offer. It's a shame that most RV's aren't built to last like my Fridgedare.Kent 2 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #15 – September 17, 2016, 12:37:40 pm Quote from: Kent Heckethorn - September 16, 2016, 12:48:23 pmAlthough Lazy Daze will most likely be missing from the Pomona Show, I'd be curious to see the Born Free rigs.Not because I would want one, but to satisfy my curiosity. They seem overloaded with "timber" in the interior and I really don't care for the appearance of the exterior, however many members of LDO feel they carry a lot of credibility. Although in the world of "swoops & swirls" they are a big contender.So, with that, I wouldn't mind taking a peak. Don't think my schedule will allow, but maybe I can squeak in some time. KentI've owned 2 Born Free models (Rear Side Bed and Rear Queen). In the market again for my next coach after selling my Tiffin Allegro, and am looking at Rear Bath models. I don't want to sleep overhead, and the LD couch in the RB layout is significantly larger than BF offers. If the BF RB floor plan had a bigger sleeping option without having to climb a ladder, I'd be buying another BF. Based on what I've seen and read online, the two are both outstanding quality coaches. 1 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #16 – September 20, 2016, 05:43:08 pm I've owned (3) LDs and (1) BF. The BF handled the wind much better and the air shocks made the ride nice when/if they were adjusted properly. The curved in walls at the top really limited the upper storage compartment depth. We used the BF without a toad quite successfully. It was a 24RB model. My first LDs were Mid-baths and the last one was a Front Lounge. I'd have to say the BF was a bit fancier feeling but the LD was more practical. 1 Likes
Re: Hershey RV show Hershey Penna Reply #17 – September 20, 2016, 07:38:18 pm Quote from: rm2011ldmb - September 16, 2016, 08:14:53 pmI did receive the DVD from Born Free that I requested when shopping for a rig. Reviewing the DVD convinced me that the BFs appeared to be quality built at that time (2005-2008). But, that corner bed feature would just not work for us. The couch/beds in the rear of the mid-bath work very well for our needs.To me the inside and the windows are the best reason for an LD... I find a full time bed in a house that has 250 square feet a terrible waste. Amazingly to me that is the requirement of at least 90 percent of the RV buyers(I want a bed I don't have to make every night!) And having had one unit with a corner bed that is an really bad solution. Also the other manufacturers go with the poor jack knife sofa beds instead of making their own. 2 Likes
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