Toronto RV Show

We did not go to the Toronto RV show this year.

It is probably Canada’s largest show at roughly 350,000 square feet of exhibition space. The Tampa RV SuperShow and the Hershey RV Show both weigh in at over 1 million square feet of exhibition space. Very different experience as those two shows are large, outdoor events with a huge inventory of product. The Toronto show is indoor with a limited supply of product.

When we last went out, there were only a handful of Class A coaches. And by a handful, I mean less than a few dozen. Newmar does not show there. American Coach does not show there. No Prevost coaches from Marathon. Or from any one else. Sicard RV shows up with a few nice coaches as does McPhail’s but that is pretty much it.

Lots of fifth wheels and trailers though. Unlike the boom in RV sales in the States, Canadians are not feeling that optimistic about our economy. RV sales, particularly in the Class A segment, are not surging. Partly due, of course, to the low Canadian dollar. U.S. products are really expensive in Canada.

I did get some highlights from the Toronto RV show and one small trailer caught my eye, the Little Guy T@G Max:

This is a teardrop camper trailer. This style of camper emerged after the second World War. They were made of materials obtained from surplus markets — the skin was made from the wings of decommissioned bombers, the wheels from decommissioned military jeeps. Today, the materials are no longer military surplus. And the design is obviously very compact.

Great use of space though.