Tampa RV Super Show and Daytona Beach Winter Trip

Part of the RV experience is the ability to hook up the 5th wheel and go somewhere on a whim. Joan and I wanted to do something different spending a few winter weeks in Daytona Beach , FL. To make the trip more interesting we realized we would be in Florida during the Tampa RV Super Show and this too would be another first for Joan and me.

We spent a day searching online for a campground and were in luck finding a couple of weeks available at the Daytona RV Park. This was an opportunity to explore Daytona Beach finding something different than the beach. We also have more to share about the Tampa RV Show, but first let’s look at the 5th wheels we toured at the show.

Tampa RV Super Show

Since we started our RV travels in 2014, we’ve heard so much about the Tampa RV Super Show. We were going to be 2 hours away from Tampa and thought we’d drive over and see what changes have been made in 5th wheels. I must admit we had more interest than just looking, but more of that in a future blog.

The Tampa RV Super Show is in fact…super. We arrived Thursday morning and it took over a half an hour to get into the Tampa Fairgrounds parking area. We purchased our tickets in advance and we walked in with ease. We couldn’t believe the size of the show. Hundreds and hundreds of RVs of all types were on display. We have been looking at RVs for the past year and had an idea of brands, styles and prices, only to find the 2022 models had much better decors and there were quite a few with very competitive show prices.

We spent the day looking at models that fit our long term living on the road. We had a number of items that were important if we ever thought about purchasing a new 5th wheel.

• Built on a heavy duty I-frame,
• light decor with brighter walls and less dark wood cabinets,
• large living space, plenty of room in the kitchen area with ample counter space,
• a bath and a half, and
• a large bedroom with more dressing space and an adjoining bath.

We thought we would be asking a lot, but to our surprise, we found a number of 5th wheels that checked every item on our list. Some of our favorite models were Heartland Landmark and Big Country, the Keystone Montana, and the Grand Design Solitude. See the video below for a short tour of the units we saw at the Tampa RV Super Show.

RV aren’t the only thing to see at the show. There were large buildings dedicated to a wide variety of vendors all showing services and wares to aid the RV community. On this Thursday, the buildings were packed with people and all of the vendors were managing the crowds and happy to answer any question.

We had a great time at the show seeing the RVs with the added treat of meeting so many of our YouTube viewers. So how big was the show? It was estimated that over 100,000 people would go through the gates. We believe it and look forward to returning.

Daytona Beach, FL in the Winter

Joan and I have been going to Daytona Beach since we were kids. Our past visits were typically one week vacations with the family spent mostly at the beach, boardwalk and close-by restaurants. Little time if any was spent away from the beach enjoying the sand, waves and family time.

This trip was going to be different. Just Joan and I, and we knew hanging out at the beach in the month of January was not going to be on our agenda. We also knew that trying to find a campground on short notice in the middle of snow bird season was going to be difficult. We were lucky to find two and a half weeks open at the Daytona RV Park in South Daytona, FL.

The campground was a basic, with parking on grass, paved roads, full hook-up with 50 amp, a laundry, no junky campers, and plenty of friendly folks. Also not typically found at the beach, the camping spots had reasonable space between RVs and added space to park the truck. Plus we were minutes from grocery, good seafood restaurants and some neat places to see that we’ve missed over the years.

Not one just to sit, we had a great time touring the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Point Park and Beach, Sugar Mill Historic sites in Port Orange and New Smyrna, muscle cars at Hanksters Hot Rods and so much more.

The Florida winter trip was so much fun. Warmer weather, the chance to see new sites, and topping it offer with the Tampa RV Super Show. Stay tuned for what’s next. We have a big announcement coming soon!

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