2023 Quartzsite RV Show ‘Knocked it Out of the Park’

Curt Curtis of RV Country

There was a lot to celebrate at the 2023 Quartzsite Sports, Vacation and RV Show this year, which took place Jan. 21-29. In fact, this reporter was able to camp on the midway next to the seminar tent and one night there was clearly a party happening. It turns out it was the crew from RV Country, the official RV dealership at the event. The cause of the celebration was the fact that this was their second-best year in the time they have been participating in the show. 

“Sales are great – we knocked it out of the park,” said one of the sales team we spoke with. 

Speaking with RV Country President Curt Curtis, who was dressed for the celebration, he acknowledged that this year was worth celebrating. 

Fifth-wheel toy haulers were the winners in the sales race after the dust had settled at the show, he mentioned. 

Exo-hauler

That makes sense in this environment where ATVs are seen everywhere including right on the city’s streets. In fact, we saw a new way to haul these vehicles in the eXo-hauler which is a hybrid between a pickup camper and a toy hauler. 

The eXo-hauler was the product of Jason Cofran, who seemed quite pleased with the response form the attendees. 

“People are asking lots of questions and there seems to be a lot of interest,” said Cofran of his unique RV. (You can find a review of this rig here.) 

Mike Sokol

Seminars

Returning to the show were educational seminars and those, too, were popular with the attendees. Many of the free seminars were filled to overflowing but the ones that really struck a cord with the audience were anything to do with solar and off-grid functionality. 

A number of the seminars on this subject spilled out of the tent provided for the workshops into the midway. 

One of the many speakers at the seminars was recognized RV electricity expert Mike Sokol, who flew in from Maryland to experience the desert event. 

“I have to come back – this is something special,” said the speaker. In fact Sokol’s workshop was so popular it spilled over into the adjoining display and he had to spend another hour answering questions from those who attended his workshop. 

Summary

“I think people are happy,” said the show’s organizer, Kimmy King. “Nobody’s yelled at me yet!” 

In fact, a few vendors we spoke with said that foot traffic seemed consistent with the better years. Some indicated that attendees were a little tighter with their wallets, but that wasn’t universal. While some vendors who had been there over the years did say their sales weren’t as high as expected, others were ecstatic. 

It seems that what is selling are solar and lithium products and general household items. There were also quite a few vendors in attendance who were there to share work camping opportunities and they, too, were popular. 

Kimmy King

In fact YouTube creator Bob Wells of the Cheap RV Living has advocated his audience to attend the show if they’re looking for work. In his videos he’s stated that “you can find a year’s worth of work in one day,” referring to the show. 

The show happened in Quartzsite, Ariz. from Jan. 21-29 under a gigantic tent that will measure 590 feet in length which is 60 feet longer than this year. According to the show’s promoter, Kimmy King, there were 324 booths under the big top with an additional 50 surrounding it outside on the midway. In addition to the vendor booths there will be ten service bays and companies like Dometic will be on hand to provide service and upgrades. 

The tiny town of Quartzsite swells to what has been estimated to be the largest gathering of RVers in the world. Many come from colder climates to spend time in the mild daytime temperatures and gather with other RVers, often in groups of like-minded campers. 

Much more than an RV show, The Quartzsite Sports, Vacation and RV Show is a destination, a huge rock and mineral show and an exceptional people-watching venue. Attendees will be able to walk through hundreds of new and pre-owned RV models and there will be over a dozen, fully-staffed RV service bays offering repairs and service plus immediate installation of many of the items exhibited and sold at the show. 

Specific details, including the schedule of daily free workshops and seminars, can be found at QuartzsiteRVshow.com

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/2023-quartzsite-rv-show-knocked-it-out-of-the-park/