IF YOU GO
What: Chattanooga RV Super Show Where: Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. How much: $6 for adults, with kids under 12 and parking free
Mark and Ashley Bates bought a camper travel trailer back in November because Doodles, their 30-pound Corgi-Jack Russell mix, is too big to stay at most hotels, and the couple doesn't like leaving him home when they vacation.
"He's like our baby," Ashley said.
The couple perused the selection of hundreds of travel trailers, motorhomes and haulers inside the Chattanooga Convention Center on Friday afternoon at the third annual Chattanooga RV Super Show, mostly for the accessory sales booths, which "are the best part," said Ashley.
In years past, the show has been held at the First Tennessee Pavilion, but the spring weather has proven too unpredictable for comfort, said event organizers. Temperatures even this weekend are expected to be colder, with lows dipping into the 20s tonight.
The climate among show-goers and sales people was unquestionably warm and sunny Friday, though.
RVs for Less salesman Butch Burson, left, shows a luxury RV to Ryan Miller, center, and Andrea Graves on Friday at the Chattanooga RV Super Show at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga.RV sales are climbing back, and the proof is in the sales that dealerships are seeing, with numbers unmatched since before the recession in 2009.
According to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, RV (motorhomes, travel trailers, sport utility RVs, truck campers and folding camper trailers) shipments are projected to hit around 365,000 this year, doubling the roughly 166,000 shipments made in 2009 at the height of the recession crunch.
This year's projected shipment numbers are also the highest of any year since 1992, except 2004, 2005 and 2006 -- the height of sales, said dealers on Friday.
Mark Woltjen, general manager of Dunlap RV Centers in Lebanon, Tenn., and Bowling Green, Ky., said after seeing record sales in the middle of the decade, the crash come 2009 could "bring you to your knees."
When unemployment spiked and disposable income shrunk or disappeared altogether, people stopped buying things they didn't absolutely need. And RV owners took a break from upgrading to bigger and better models.
"These things took a direct hit," said Woltjen.
Kathy Smith looks at the weight information and pricing on an RV on Friday, March 27, 2015.But things have improved as the economy has improved, he added.
"Look at the Dow," he said. "All the stars are lining up."
RV owners are turning in older models and upgrading to brand-new options. That leaves plenty of affordable, used inventory on the market for folks breaking into RVing.
"It means you're getting a lot of new customers into the market, and they're buying out the used market," said Woltjen.
Dominic Grescowle, a sales representative with manufacturer Salem Forest River, said RV builders are feeling the increased demand after sitting on capital through the tough recession days.
His company recently bought more space for manufacturing to keep up with dealers, who at one point faced eight-week waiting periods for new inventory.
"To see that kind of growth in the industry since 2008 is just great," he said. "We went from building about 65 trailers a day to over 100."
Contact staff writer Alex Green at agreen@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480.