The Detroit Camper & RV Show

So here's the deal. I didn't get to the Detroit RV & Camper Show Thursday or today, Friday. I won't be able to go tomorrow, and I probably won't be able to go on Sunday. The two hours I spent at the show with my dad on Wednesday will be all I'm able to spend at the show this year.

To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. I live for these shows.

But it can't be helped. I'm simply way too busy to spend five days at an RV show that is an hour's drive from me. Work combined with helping out backstage for my daughter's high school musical has me working from 7 in the morning until 10 at night. With more rehearsals this weekend and all the stuff around the house that needs my attention, my grand plans of going to the RV show all five days are long gone.

At least the two hours I did spend were worthwhile. My dad and I looked at a handful of RVs, including the Fleetwood Terra and its Hide-A-Loft feature, the completely brand new Holiday Rambler Trip motor home and the Keystone Raptor Velocity Fifth Wheel featuring a Rear Patio System. There were a handful of others we liked, including some of the new ultra lightweight Sunset Trails campers by Crossroads RVs. Since I own a hybrid (Trail Lite Bantam) and my dad owns an Outback travel trailer, we also sought out other hybrids and Outbacks, too.

For this post I'll talk about the Terra, Trip and Raptor Velocity, and leading off will be the Terra.

I've always liked motor homes. My wife and I picture ourselves in Class A or C once the kids have grown up and moved out. The Fleetwood Terra would be just the kind of motor home we'd be interested in. What I liked about the Terra was its efficient use of space, that nothing seemed "cheap," the split L-shaped galley and the Hide-A-Loft, a motorized queen bed over the cab. Actually, the Hide-A-Loft is an option on a few other Fleetwood models, including the Class C Tioga. Fleetwood manufacturers representative Keith Packard said the Hide-A-Loft was an instant hit when it was first introduced late last year, and are so popular this year that "he can't build them fast enough." While he was talking to us, two families with kids came inside, and the kids had no problems climbing up into the Hide-A-Loft. Cargo netting meant the kids would not roll off into the windshield, and a flat screen TV easily swung out of the way when the bed was in motion.

What I liked about the L-shaped split galley is that you still had everything you needed in a galley, but in a compact setting that didn't seem cramped. Essentially, a double sink with upper and lower cabinets was one side of the L, while the oven, range and vented microwave were in a neat little stack in a slideout, along with a sofa-bed couch, perpendicular to the sink and cabinets. The refrigerator was opposite the slideout, right next to the mid-coach entry.

The all-new Holiday Rambler Trip is said to be a 15 mpg Class A motor home, although I could find no literature to support this. The Holiday Rambler website doesn't specify its mileage ratings either, other than to say the Trip is equipped with a MaxxForce 7 6.4 liter V8 engine, capable of 260 maximum horsepower and 660 pounds of torque.

The Trip was nice and I'm sure it handled well. If we had more time to spend inside it, giving it more than a quick glimpse, I'm sure we'd have been more impressed than what we were. But we reached the Trip at the tail end of our stay, so we had to leave much sooner than we would have liked. I guess you could say the Trip was the end of our trip.

The Raptor Velocity was a huge fifth wheel that getting a ton of attention. Larry See of A&S Sales had the Velocity set up at the entrance to his dealership's display area, with the Rear Patio System unfolded and on display right off the main center aisle. It caught everyone's eye, and more people than not stopped for a closer inspection.

The Velocity was a triple-axle toy hauler but, as Larry said, the toy hauler segment is starting to evolve. The Velocity's version of that evolution is the Rear Patio. The back door of the RV hinges down to become a ramp for whatever toys you have on board. But, the same door can be affixed in a position level to the ground, fencing put in place on its edges and an electronic awning raised over it. Presto! Instant Rear Patio. The garage end of the RV can also be outfitted with an optional U-shaped dinette, which becomes a bed, as well as another, more modest, bed overhead. Both are lifted up and out of the way with a flip of a switch, turning the heated garage and Rear Patio into one very fine party room. There's even a half bath accessible from the garage.

Well, so there you have it. Two hours is way too short to spend at an RV show that features over 250 campers and motor homes. But I should be thankful that at least I had two hours.