Our Visit to the Western NY RV Show

How true that is!

This past week my wife and I made our annual visit to the Hamburg Fairgrounds for the "Western NY RV Show". I first started going to the event as a teen with my grandparents. who were some of the most avid rv'ers I've ever known.  I owe my love of camping to them and going to the show each January always brings back a flood of fond memories, recalling walking around the arena floor with them as they talked about the pros and cons of each model on display.

Once again this year, there were travel trailers of every shape and size (and budget) to admire, in addition to a good selection of some of the basic necessities you'd need for an improved rv'ing experience.  For anyone interested in buying a "new to me" camper, all of the dealers on site had a wide selection of those to pick from as well. We've been enjoying our 4th such travel trailer for the past several years, a 2007 Dutchman "Freedom Spirit" thanks to the fine folks at https://www.wilkinsrv.com/.

"Skyline RV" (Darien, NY) Used RV Display.  

Of the several tiny campers we saw, for anyone not quite ready to give up on tent camping but, tired of sleeping on the cold wet ground, the "Coachman Clipper Express 9"; https://coachmenrv.com/camping-trailers/clipper/9.0TD/ might be to your liking. It can be towed by even the smallest of cars / suv's while still providing some of the basic essentials.     

Coachman Clipper Express 9

Retro campers are still quite popular.  It wasn't hard for us to imagine ourselves retired and enjoying a few days relaxing at one of our favorite campsites in a "Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser"; https://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/products/light-weight/vintage-cruiser/overview

Culfstream Vintage Cruiser

The Cruiser has a lovely retro themed blue interior as well.

Although most of the campers we toured had the same general layout and interior color scheme (sandstone seems to be the consensus this year), there were a few surprises to be had.  I cannot recall ever seeing twin beds in place of a queen in a camper before, although I'm sure they've probably been an option.  Our guess was this "Mini Winnie" floor plan is geared towards heading out for a few days with your buddy hunting / fishing. It also can be made into one large bed if needed. https://www.usadventurerv.com/product-winnebago-industries-towables/micro-minnie-travel-trailer/2108tb

Well, that's something different.

Of all the travel trailers at the show, our favorite was a 27' "Palomino Puma".  

https://www.optimumrv.com/product/new-2020-palomino-puma-27rlss-1035713-29

We really liked the interior layout, very spacious throughout. It's similar in size to the camper we own now which meets our needs quite nicely.   

Maybe, if we win the lottery in the near future...............

The interior floorplan.

Plenty of room to move around from front to back. 

A good amount of workspace in the kitchen area.

Even the bathroom is fairly spacious. 

In addition to the many campers on display it's always nice to visit every year with some of our local Tourism friends that are campground owners.  Two of our favorites are https://www.triplercamp.com/ which is in the Cattaraugus / Chautauqua region of the State; https://enchantedmountains.com/ and http://dreamlakecampground.com/, located  25 minutes West of Letchworth State Park; https://parks.ny.gov/parks/79/details.aspx.  

Triple R Campground in Franklinville, NY will have a new waterpark for the 2020 season.

 

Patty Daniel Jarnot can't wait for camping season to begin at "Dream Lake"!

All in all, it was an afternoon well spent, sort of like being able to walk around in the Sears Christmas Wish Book, only for "big" kids. Now we can dream of some rv'ing to come once camping season returns in a few months.  Hooray!!