RV show presents options for luxury and backcountry campers

By Lethbridge Herald on January 14, 2022.

Campers and prospective customers take in the RV show being held by Western RV Country and Eldorado RV this week at the Lethbridge Exhibition. Herald photo by Dale Woodard

Dale Woodard – Lethbridge Herald

Got a little camping on the slate this summer?

If so, a pair of local RV dealerships have teamed up for some one-stop shopping this weekend at the Lethbridge Exhibition Centre.

Whether you’re someone who lives for camping or someone who wants a camper they can actually live in, all wheeled options will be on display at the RV show hosted by Western RV Country and Eldorado RV, which opened Thursday and goes until Sunday.

And for the first time, Western with it’s 37 units and Eldorado with over 50 units, have teamed up. 

“I think it was an eventuality with the expansion of the Exhibition that we’re going to see a situation where all the dealers in southern Alberta can get together and get under one roof at one time and have a show,” said Greg Block, sales manager at Western RV Country. “So somebody can come in and see everything that everybody has to offer and I think this is the beginning of that. It’s convenient for the consumer and it works for us because we can come with our best foot forward and really show what southern Alberta can do here and utilize the new facilities.”

Most of the units on display this weekend were built in Indiana, said Block.

“We all have different product lines we bring in so we can show the best Indiana has to offer as well, the best the industry has. Thor and Forest River are the two big umbrella companies that really produce most of the products. So between the two of them I think we have a really good showing, a cross section of what is available.”

The units on display this weekend range from the smaller Bushwhacker to the larger campers with all the up-to-date amenities.

“It’s a neat little rig because you can pull it with a minivan or a small vehicle and it’ll go anywhere with those big, knobby tires,” said Block of the Bushwhacker. “I have folks interested in this who like to go up into the backcountry and really enjoy it. They don’t need the bells and whistles, just the amenities and it provides that.”

Then there are the larger units that can serve as a second home.

“People are into the LED lights and there are massage chairs in some of these units,” said Block. “There are a lot of king beds that weren’t there before and a lot of new technology that people are coming to see and get excited about. It’s not just a weekend getaway, some of these are livable.”

In keeping with COVID-19 protocol, the Restrictions Exemption Program is in effect, but others can be accommodated as well.

“We’re set up here so if somebody does come and they haven’t been vaccinated we have a card to supply them and they’ll get a preferential test so they can have it done fairly quickly and get back to the show,” said Block. “We are allowing for that as well. We want everybody to have an opportunity to come and see this.”

Today’s show runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and again Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is a food donation for the Food Bank or a cash donation.