Smoke & Mirrors: Don’t Believe All the Hype at RV Shows

So far at the Florida RV SuperShow, we have seen many exciting and innovative things. But our tours of the sprawling Tampa, Florida State Fairgrounds this week also reveal why you can’t believe all the hype at RV shows.

Let me cite just two examples…

Example #1: New “Available” Models

The Italian Winghamm Oasi was first introduced in the show a couple of years ago. A lot of hype was built around this small European class B that could be parked just about anywhere and characterized with all sorts of interesting European-style appliances and designs. RVers were excited that it would be available in the States.

The Wingham was promoted again at last year's Florida RV Supershow with promised delivery starting in 2023, but when you go to look for it at the show this year, there’s no sign of the Winghamm. All that hype turned out to be pretty much vaporware.

If you do a search on the Winghamm Oasi, you’ll now find that the last message on the Facebook group in 2023 indicated that delivery dates, despite promises made over the past two years, were still unknown.

Also, the price has gone up by over $40,000.

The Facebook announcement said that they were going to partially refund deposits out of goodwill. They felt bad about the change in price but they had no further updates on when this unit would be available. They seem to be doing OK in Europe, but the US market has not materialized.

I bring this up because many of my colleagues in the RV industry media were all over the story, saying how this was going to revolutionize the class B industry here in the US.

That this little Italian import was setting the class B world on its heels. Well, the class B world can now stand up and get back to normal because the Winghamm is not here. 

That’s the first example of all the hype that you hear to show that turns out to be more smoke than substance. Here's the second…

Example #2: EV RVs

At last year's show, electric (EV) RVs were all the rage at the show. Everybody, including us, was doing coverage on Winnebago EV RV – eRV2. We even took a ride in one, but when you really studied the status of that RV and the one that was introduced the year before, you realize there’s an awful lot of work that still needs to be done.

Those RVs and golden promises that they soon would be taking production orders for delivery last year, turned out to be smoke and mirrors.

There's Hype this year, too

There is no EV RV at this year‘s Florida RV SuperShow.

But as an example of the hype continuing in 2024, there's a new teardrop camper by Aliner being billed as an “EV Camper.” The E part apparently comes from the electric batteries it uses. Oh, it also has some solar panels.

Seriously.

I'm sorry, but lithium batteries and solar panels have been a part of the RV industry since 2014. They don't drive trailers. Calling this cute little trailer an EV is way over-the-top hype.

But the funny thing is that no one seems to have noticed except us.

We tell you all of this because it’s important that you do not get taken in by all the hype while you're at an RV show.

RV Shows are fun, but the proof is in the production.

Some public relations firms and marketing companies will seize on anything they can to get a perceived edge over a client's competitor.

Just a word to the wise about analyzing the hype.

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