Hershey RV Show!

I now appreciate the Hershey RV Show in a whole new light - thanks to RVing "newbies" Linda & Dave and Kimberly & Jon. Not even sure they technically fit the term of "RV noobs" because they are just checking out the lifestyle. These two couples are friends from different parts of our lives, but we connected for this weekend together thru interest in the RV Show.
The reasons that these couples are interested in RVing is slightly different, but revolves around family.
Kimberly and Jon have a young family of three boys, and want to take them on the road for an extended RoadTrip out West - a few weeks to maybe a month. After that the possibilities of weekends in state parks looks inviting.
For Linda and Dave, the want a place to make their two soon-to-be teen sons comfortable while they travel and see new places together. One of their sons has health challenges, so being able to have a place of familiarity and that can be modified to meet his needs is important.
We met up at Hershey Park Camping Resort - formerly known as Hershey Highmeadow. This campground is perfect if you want to hit Hershey Park, Giant Center, or one of the many other attractions in the area.
For our "adults with no kids" weekend, Linda and Dave had booked a cabin, and Kimberly and Jon bunked with us in RoadAbode. After each couple got situated, we went out to grab a bite and sample the brews of Tröegs Brewery.

If you are in the Hershey area - GO! Tröegs offers a variety of in-house brewed beers, some which are only available seasonally. They have been in their current location in Hershey since the fall of 2011. The brewery originally started in Harrisburg. Self-guided tours are available daily during regular business hours. Though the beers are great, and the tour impressive, what really got us was the food. Though only listed as having a "snack bar", this brewery's food menu is something not to miss. Items like smoked lamb sausage, cod and potato cake on Pullman bread, and the wonderfully tasty tröegswurst feature ingredients that are fresh and local. Make sure to check out their specials for a treat for your taste buds. If you are not sure what to drink - check with the wandering tasting room barbacks and servers for a great pairing. Or, try a sampler to find a Tröegs brew that is a true taste fit for you.
Saturday we hit the RV show full force. We started by consuming a great egg and spinach scramble (with homemade biscuits)  that Amy created. Rather than all squash into RoadAbode, we sat on the picnic bench of Linda and Dave's cabin porch. (nicely appointed cabin!) Then we headed to the front of the campground for the shuttle to the RV Show. The shuttle was the local school's "Cheese Bus", which was perfectly fine for our short trip. Once at the RV show, we dove right in. Since our guest couples were trying to get a handle on what is available, we looked at everything. From classic Airstreams to fifth wheels - million dollar rigs to  pop-ups. Normally Amy and I would confine ourselves to motor-homes, with a passing interest in other units. But we wanted to be sure our friends got to to see the differences, and assess themselves the pros and cons for their particular needs, of features available on different camping units.
For ourselves, even when  not in the market to purchase an RV, it's interesting to see the latest "do-dads" available, and dream what would work, or could be incorporated into RoadAbode. Some of the features we have built into RoadAbode over the past ten years are items we saw first at an RV Show. It was fun checking out some of the trailers and fifthwheels we usually don't go into. The Class B motorhomes on Mercedes chassis were nicely appointed but too tight for me.For the hugh Class A motorhomes I just can't comprehend why it seems the higher the price of a motorhome, the less people it can sleep! Even our lunch was on the go from the food carts in the venue, although my crabcake sandwich was pretty good for $8 bucks. We headed to the Giant Center to check out campground booths and accessories. After checking out the indoor wares, Linda and Dave headed back to their cabin for a "nap", so we were down to four for the afternoon. We spent a good part of the afternoon looking at various trailer manufactures. Jon already has a truck capable of towing, so a trailer could be viable solution for their travels. One issue was checking out a unit that would be usable with slides in when just stopping in a truck-stop or Walmart for a few hours sleep.
One of the Class C manufacturers I was keenly interested in, Nexus RV, ended up being a disapointment. A "direct to buyer" manufacturer, I had been excited about the included amenities and price points this small factory was hitting. On paper (and in videos) the build quality looked great for the price. However, once we actually got to be inside units, we began to see problems. Even Jon was pointing out defects in finish, and quality of materials. Unless I see other results in the next few years, they will no longer be on my "short list". Happily, Jayco, and Winnebago stay on that list  - and now Thor may be included. All had floor plans that I'd like to see more of in the future. My favorite Class C is the 31E Bunkhouse Chateau (more comfortable sleeping for guests) also an available sister model by Fourwinds -  with sliding wood door (take notes Jayco, those sliding fabric things are flimsy!) to close off the bunks from the back bedroom. Loved the two door central bath as well! Also available in a "Super C" Ford 550 diesel, which gives more pulling power.

In a Class A, I enjoyed the room found in the Winnebago Vista 35B, Similarly laid out to the Fourwinds C class, but with an additional toilet area. Pocket doors  to close off the bunks from the back bedroom and living area as well!

With all the features and possibilities swimming in our head, we headed back to the Hershey Camping Resort and then out to dinner to Applebees. It seems from the conversations the RV "noobs" were hooked! They may not be buying in the next week, or month, but RVing is definitely on their radar.

After dinner, Jon and Kimberly said their goodbyes, and headed back homeward to their boys.

The four left had a fun spirited game of Quiddler (a word-making card game), and then off to bed.

Sunday - We readied to go, then went to Bob Evans for a hearty breakfast. Linda and Dave decided to go back to the RV show to check out areas they hadn't gotten to, and we headed for home. Great weekend!

Hershey Weekend

Headed to the "Land of Chocolate" - Hershey PA, this Weekend. I really enjoy Hershey in the fall, and this weekend did not disappoint. Added bonus was the RV Show was at the Giant Complex, and was for us the featured attraction. We drugg some friends along as well. Had a Water and Electric Cable Spot, and they a cabin.

Even though I took a half day, we still didn't make it up there til after 8pm. K stuck at school, and picking up my buddy Kev and son L slowed us down a bit (His wife Leanne came up Sat after lil K. Swim Lessons) After figuring out how best to strap a car seat to the dinette (a feat accomplished by AM) we were off down the highway to Hershey. Taking the Turnpike to Lebanon/Lancaster, then following the signs to Hershey was a pretty direct and easy route. Passed plenty of farmland, but they are building a bit of it up with new homes. Passed the Milton Hersey School and Hershey Medical Center along the way, both pretty impressive for being out in the "country".

After setting up the basics, and Kev got acclimatized to the cabin (Was one spot further away than expected) I picked up dinner at Pizza Hut - Two cheese crust-filled pizzas - and headed to the porch of the cabin to munch. The cabin is a nice setup, a porch with table, a front room with Bunks, Table, and refrigerator, and a rear bedroom. They have air and heating as well, but no running water.

We all settled in after eating by around 10:30pm or so.

Saturday Morning, we got Molly out for her walk, and got coffee and tea water on. Am made a great breakfast of eggs, sausage, and pancakes - some even with chocolate chips or walnuts. After breakfast cleanup, we headed to the RV show. Caught the shuttle over and made it to the show by about 10am or so.

It's interesting when you see a sea of people waiting in line, but get to zip by - the campground shuttle had it's own entryway, so we were in pretty quickly. First place we hit was where K wanted to go, Newmar. Sadly, we found out they are discontinuing her favorite Model - the All-Star. The mid-engine Spartan chassis are no longer being manufactured, so the line needed to be discontinued. It was a really innovative platform to design a motorhome on!. They did have Baystars and CanyonStar available to check out though - some with bunks like what we are currently intrigued with.

The girls wanted to show Kev the Seasonals with the second floors for kids, and we also got to see some ultra lite hybrids and Winnebago's offerings. Between potty breaks I picked up some New England Brochures in the Giant center for next years trip up that way. Didn't really see anything vendor-wise that interested me. We received word that Leanne and K were just about at Hershey, so we hit back toward the shuttle to the campground. Once they got their things in the cabin, we enjoyed a light lunch together and just caught up a bit. After lunch, it was on the shuttle again, but this time to ChocolateWorld, where you learn how Hershey's Chocolate is made. A fun ride thru the "factory" and best yet at the end - free chocolate! This time around it was a handful of kisses that we each received. After our ride, lil K and E became "factory workers" and packaged up some kisses - with some special love thrown in for good measure. After our chocolate adventures, we went back over to the RV show, and took in some of Tiffin's and Roadtrek's offerings. Tiffin really had some great features at their site - beautiful motorhomes! Roadtrek, which specialized in B class motorhomes, had interesting concepts, but still a lot of money for what you get. But if I won the lottery I'd get a Tiffin with a RoadTrek Toad! We wandered around just a bit more, but the little ones got tired pretty quick, and that leads to either nap-in-place, or a bit of the crankies. So, didn't see all of the show, but how many slide out/dinette table bedroom/bath combos can you look at?

One cool little A class we saw was the Avanti by Damon This little diesel-powered wonder had a decent amount of space, with a cool pull down bed over the driver and passenger. Great wrap around booth as well. They called it "Yacht Styling". Claims to get 14mpg - not to bad for a home on wheels! Wonder what the ccc on it was.

We headed out and home for dinner between 4 & 5 pm. The little ones got their first ride on a "yellow cheese bus" - our shuttle was a commandeered school bus. After I chucked some charcoal in the fire pit, Kev channeled his inner chef and made some great brats and cheeseburgers for everyone. Coupled with some salads, beans and chips, made for a good meal. Topped off with a little zinfandel or wine coolers, was a nice night. And for dessert/ s'mores, and a little later a treat of ice cream at the camp store, on Uncle Kev and Aunt Leanne. Thanks guys! Grabbed a shower at the office shower house (think it's nicer - and warmer than the others.)We all retired pretty early, and covered up as the stars came out and the cool night air made us snuggle under the blankets or sleeping bags. Slept pretty well, except for the train or two that passed in the night. An active freight line passes by the campground - and this year seemed nosier than other times we've been here.

Sunday had another great breakfast of pancakes egg and sausage. Seemed there was more of a chill in the air than the previous morning. The kids didn't seem to mind, but parents chased after to keep 'em warm anyway.

We headed over to ChocolateWorld to do the ride- again - and do a bit of shopping. We also decided to do the 3-d movie they have. It was much more fun, but every bit of hoke-y that I expected. Girls really got a kick out of it. After buying some snacks for on the way home, we hopped a shuttle again, and headed back to camp to pull out. Kev, Leanne and family left before us and we shared hugs and goodbyes all around. (we still had to dump and hook up RoadToad, no use in waiting for that)

Ride home after hooking up (dumping and Hooking RoadToad took about a total of 30 min) was nice and easy. As we passed signs for Hopewell on the Turnpike, I tried to entice the girls to play hooky and camp out another day and do some hiking. They wanted to get back to go to school! What's wrong with kids today? =p

After dropping of RoadAbode, we were home and comfy by about 5pm. Great weather, Great Time, Good eats, Good Company. That makes for a Pretty Awesome Weekend!

@ Hershey, Pa

Tired campers

Hershey Weekend

Almost ended up not camping this weekend. We booked this weekend late, and where we ended up was our 4th choice – all the others were booked full for the weekend. So much for high gas prices and recession.
Spending the weekend in Hershey, staying at Hershey Highmeadow Campground. Was able to break away from work at 4pm, but Amy was running late packing RoadaBode because when picking her up from storage, RoadAbode’s Cabover molding was hanging loose. The same molding I proactively had replaced while having other work done about a month ago. Amy took RoadAbode back to Media Camping Center in Hatboro to have this resolved. They temporarily fixed, but we’ll need to have the whole job redone correctly next week.
Even with running late, we hustled, packed, and pulled out from home by 5pm. Unfortunately, we ran into a good bit of traffic in Plymouth Meeting, and was slowed up by an accident cleanup on the Westbound Turnpike. We managed to pull into the campground, disconnect RoadToad, level, and set up inside and outside – including water, electric, and cable by about 8pm. We jumped in RoadToad and went a half mile down the street to enjoy a Stuff Crust pepperoni pizza at Pizza Hut. Was seated quickly, and service was great, as was the pizza! Yumm! Filled up at a Sheetz here - $2.69 a gallon. Once back to the campground, we settled in and enjoyed some cable. Emily colored something for the coloring contest. The campground is full with families, and the reason is it’s celebrating a Halloween weekend. There are contests for everything on Saturday from costumes, to site decorating, to pumpkin carving.
Saturday morning, slept til 8:30am, made coffee, enjoyed eggs and bagels, and we all started on individual projects. The girls both had homework to work on, I some articles to write, and Amy wanted to do some fall cleaning after my last foray out with “the guys”. After doing some reading and note taking, Em and Amy headed to take part in the contests, while Kimberly and I continued working on our projects.
From 1 to 2pm was time for trick and treating. So many kids, we were out of candy in 20 minutes! Nothing like at home. After Trick or Treating, we took a walk around to look at the decorated sites throughout the campground. Some were quite elaborate!
While the girls perused the camp store, I hit the showers, and then we headed to the Hershey Chocolate Factory. Went thru the ride twice, and bought some specialty Chocolates. Headed back to RoadAbode, enjoyed just waking the campground, a dinner of pulled pork, and some evening TV. Quite Restful.

Hershey Weekend

At Hershey this weekend. Saw this guy, who seems to be a cousin to the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile.

RV Show Sat.

Got up early, enjoyed breakfast and we were off. Hershey HighMeadow is not a bad campground - (Do need to understand you are next to a freight train route though!)The staff friendly, playground equip. Pretty new, not broken, and the shower houses are fine - could stand an update perhaps, but setup well. Campstore is well stocked. The shuttle to the RV show is downright luxurious - a charter - type bus. Got to the Registration area before the show opened. Stood in line and chatted with others there. The girls got kudos for how well-behaved they were, by a school teacher. The woman also said how well we spoke and included the girls - and instructed them on their behavior. As a parent - that's great to hear.
I decided that the first thing in should be what Kimberly wanted to see (Emily didn't care) So once in the show - we hopped on the tram to stop #4 for the Anderson Mobile Estates. These are highly specialized trailers used by actors - like Wil Smith or Robert De Niro. We had to wait in line - they were not quite ready for guests. From the outside the trailer is amazing - two stories tall - with

Ron Anderson

multiple slideouts on the first floor.
Once inside we were met by the owner of the company Ron Anderson - that was a surprise! I was thoroughly impressed with his presentation. A down to earth guy, Ron explained how everyone talks about the $$$ this thing costs, no one explains about the engineering involved. His background, alongwith his father was in aircraft design for the coaches. His original start working with "Hollywood types" was as a tour bus driver - and his wife (also down to earth - extremely nice) was the makeup artist. From those experiences and connections he built his business.
The trailer itself was amazing, specialty woods and leathers, all created to be ingeniously packed up - from two stories to one. I think it had more square footage than our house! Go to his site to check them out!
After our 45 minute tour with Ron (He's Thorough!) the show was a bit of a blur - but here are some highlights:
We Saw quite a few Class A's that are built for families - with both Queen bed for mom & dad, and bunks for kids! Really nice were the AllStar and BayStar by Newmar, and the 35J by WinabagoFor some reason, Emily liked to do a dance in each Shower stall...

The RV Shower Dancer


Emily Driving

RV Show

RV Show
Took off from Work Friday to pickup RoadAbode. Still had to go work in the morning - the person who usualy switched the AM backup for me was off.
That was OK - Going to RoadAbode is on the way.
After picking up RoadAbode, got calls about one of the remote offices having connectivity issues to one of our databases. That too was ok - I fixed when I got home. Once we packed in our clothes, and the girls were picked up from school - packed up and fed - we were off. Rained pretty much all the way up - sometimes hard.
Noticed Gas is a bit cheaper in the Hershey area - which is good. Once in Hershey, Stopped at the place requested by the girls for dinner - Pizza Hut. After dinner, filled up on gas 2 $2.45. Got to the Campground a little before 5pm. Was still drizzly, so we rethought going to the show for the "Twillight Special". Kimberly did homework, and Amy, Emily and I took a walk down to the playground and Campstore. Got some inexpensive Hershy IceCream for dessert! Plan on turning in Early So we can get to the show early am tommorrow.