Area RV shows feature newest models and features

While snow tires and snow shovels occupy most resident’s minds, the folks who sell recreational vehicles want potential customers to start thinking about warmer campouts ahead.

Things kick off on Friday with the first event sponsored by Clickit RV, which has rented the Spokane Convention Center for what it’s calling “The National RV Show.”

The promotion runs Friday through Sunday. Admission is free and Clickit RV and visitors can sign up to win a 2015 Clipper Camp Trailer.

“This is the time of year when people start thinking about RVing,” said Clickit president Dan Arrotta.

Arrotta started his own event after he wasn’t able to take part in the “Inland Northwest RV Show and Sale,” which runs Jan. 21-24 at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.

“They’ve pretty well locked it down with the guys they have,” Arrotta said. “I waited two years and tried to get in and couldn’t. We decided to do our own.”

Steve Cody, show promoter for the Inland Northwest RV Show, confirmed that the 28th annual event has 60 vendors and six dealers, and simply could not accommodate Arrotta. Admission is $8 for the entire weekend.

“We are using every single building at the fair grounds,” Cody said. “They will have 175,000 square feet of RVs. The biggest thing is that we have six different dealers. So, you can compare … like crazy.”

Each year the event sells about 150 of the vehicles, which range from small camper trailers to diesel-powered monsters that have have all the comforts of home.

The rage this year is adding fire places to the RVs. But, they are not the kind kind that you stuff wood into and light. “But it pumps out heat and is cozy,” Cody said.

RV makers are also adding second bathrooms, or making the single bathroom much larger. They are able add space through the use of slide-outs, where an entire section of wall extends out to create more space, Cody said.

“Some of them are so big they can have four (slide-outs), which are bigger than my first apartment,” he said. “Bathrooms are getting bigger and bigger … and they can increase the bedroom living space using the slide-outs.”

The show at the fairgrounds also includes vendors that can help owners find everything from financing to changing the upholstery.

“Five years ago, gas prices were closer to $4 a gallon. Now they are closer to $2 a gallon,” he said. “Being in Spokane, there are so many places you can go within 100 miles of here and find an RV park.”