RV there yet?, the Motorhome & Caravan Show drives into the NEC Birmingham this October.
The highly anticipated Motorhome and Caravan Show is set to take place from Tuesday 15 - Sunday 20 October at the NEC Birmingham. For those already enjoying the lifestyle or those on the hunt to jump on trend, the Show offers a one-stop-shop for everything needed to get travel enthusiasts and anyone with a lust for the great outdoors road-ready.
I went to the NEC before I bought my caravan and found it an invaluable educational experience.
Been tent camping for decades, so familiar with the 'camping' lifestyle, and not exactly a total stranger to caravans, campers and MHs, friends had them, and had used hired static ones for holidays since childhood, but never owned one.
Thought I had a good idea of what I was looking for as a first caravan, but hands on experience with all the options at the show caused a bit of a rethink. The theoretical usability of things like compact bathrooms, proved to be a false concept when you actually try and get into one and realise you really don't fit very well (I'm a big bloke!)! Standing in a pop-top caravan and realising it's too claustrophobic for you with your head in the compact pop-top! Lot's of other things also got reconsidered!
My 'needs' and 'must have' features, as well as what I REALLY didn't want, were heavily influenced by what I found at the show. That 'education' ultimately made my first caravan purchase a wise one, and I've been very happy with it, with no desire to change it even after 6 years.
I also took advantage of the free trial experiences of reversing a caravan, and towing a caravan. I was well familiar with towing a variety of things, but never a caravan, and quite out of practice, so the trials were worthwhile IMHO, if only to confirm that I hadn't lost my skills, and nice to be told by the supervising instructor that my towing related skills were 'excellent'.
To my mind, it's a very worthwhile visit.
Perhaps worth resisting any tempting offers from the show dealers unless they happen to be localish to you, otherwise you'll find yourself trekking across the country to pick up your new van, AND dragging it back to the dealer for any warranty work, and possibly even servicing, which may not seem such a good idea after the euphoria of the new purchase, and may even ultimately undermine any cost savings made on the deal!
We used to go to the NEC when we could break the journey from Scotland by staying with a Yorkshire relative who is no longer with us.
As above, we found it invaluable for checking out the latest ideas in MH design while we had an old one. No intention of buying at the show, but what we saw guided our choice of our current MH, bought from a local dealer.
*** The first visit was exhausting because OH insisted on going inside every single MH, even when I stood outside bleating “but we don’t want 6 berths” or “it’s way too long for the Arran ferry”. Consequently, we’d run out of energy & any capacity for rational thought or ability to make logical decisions by the time we reached the Hall with the very vehicles we’d come to see. Moral - next year, we kept on walking past the “horse boxes” & got far far more ideas to take away. Took lots of photos too, to jog our memories later: also very useful.,
Did do a day trip to it a number of years ago.
Exhausting but well worth it.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: NEC Motorhome & Caravan Show 2024
via mobile 30/8/2024 at 7:44pm
