Fair Weather Brings Serious Shoppers to Denver RV Show – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
DENVER – The weather finally cooperated for Denver’s Great American RV Show with sunny days and a grand finale day that was cooler and overcast – just right for sending an RVing crowd indoors from March 27-29 at the Colorado Convention Center.
The previous two years featured spring snowstorms that kept the crowd sizes down.
But with a show that featured about 30% more vehicles and vendors than 2024, show Owner/Chief Event Architect Hague Atkinson got the kind of crowd he was hoping for.
Friday’s crowd included Colin Jongsma and his family from Wellington, Colo. With his wife and two older children looking through units, including a Grand Design bunkhouse model in the Windish RV Center display, Jongsma toted around his youngest daughter.
The family – which embodies the target RVing demographic – are first-time would-be buyers and said they wanted to make sure they were getting good looks at several different towables in their price range.
“I don’t think we’ll end up buying this weekend, but we’re looking for something around the $30,000 range,” he said. “We wanted to come to the show so we could get a look at as many options as we could.”
Whitney Holtz, president of Windish, said she was pleased with the possibilities presented by families like the Jongsmas who are looking to join the RVing lifestyle.
“We hope to attract families who are serious buyers,” she said. “It can sometimes take them six months to a year to find their right unit, so this is a great place to start.”
This year’s show featured an overland section with rugged vehicles and a number of vendors displaying camping products.
Atkinson said the vendors he spoke to reported a good deal of success, with three of them selling out of the products they had on sale before the show closed Saturday.
He said the addition of the overland displays was a hit with the Colorado crowd that is known for its off-grid adventures.
“The one thing we’re trying to become is a well-rounded mix so it’s not just campers and not just trailers, it’s not just motorized or overland, but just like anything you want a complete menu,” he said. “I think we accomplished that this year even better than we did last year.”
Justin Slusser, West Region president for Blue Compass RV, said he agreed that the changes to the show had brought in a new level of shopper this year.
“The buyers we’ve seen have a strong confidence and are really high quality,” he said. “There has been great interest for 2025 and this has been a successful show.”
Contributing to the variety at the show were a number of new vehicles and first-time exhibitors.
Perhaps tops on the list of standout new vehicles was the Airstream 2026 Interstate 19X LE Outland Edition Class B.
Built on a Sprinter 2500 AWD chassis, the Outland is an Airstream through and through right down to its shiny silver exterior and even the riveted look of an Airstream trailer.
Regional Director of Sales Mark Inkrote said the model on display was one of only three in existence so far and that the Outland will have a limited manufacturing run.
Also on display was the Grand Design Lineage FW, which debuted at the 2024 Hershey Show.
The manufacturer’s first motorized RV is built on the Sprinter 4500 chassis.
First-time exhibitor Nomad RVs out of New Jersey exhibited a pair of motorized models, highlighted by its Euphoria Class C.
Built on a Sprinter 3500 AWD chassis, the rugged vehicle features ample interior space, a Starlink satellite internet system and a host of other features.
Atkinson said another show is scheduled in Denver from July 31 to Aug. 2, giving campers another opportunity to shop with some sneak peaks at 2026 models.
He said he is excited to see more people getting involved in RVing and hopes to continue to grow the Denver shows.
“We’re seeing in the industry that so many people love the concept and convenience and the chance for a ‘digital detox’,” he said. “It helps families get away from the screens and the computers and really reconnect. You have to unplug to reconnect. People at the show are scheming and dreaming about what they want to do. They are finding the fit.”
