Dan Flores, an employee with Jeff Bright RV Center of Rock Falls, Illinois, stands near some of the recreational vehicles on display Friday, Jan. 31, at the 2025 Davenport RV Show in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Mike and Becky Klett liked just about everything they saw in one of the new fifth wheel recreational trailers on display at the 2025 Davenport RV Show on Friday, Jan. 31. They liked the fact the fifth wheel model – called a 2025 Grand Design Solitude 30FL – had an interior that looked like a […]
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Mike and Becky Klett liked just about everything they saw in one of the new fifth wheel recreational trailers on display at the 2025 Davenport RV Show on Friday, Jan. 31.They liked the fact the fifth wheel model – called a 2025 Grand Design Solitude 30FL – had an interior that looked like a fancy apartment with a living room, large-screen TV, kitchen, bedroom and one and a half bathrooms. They also liked that it came with a microwave oven, fireplace and leather furniture. And they even liked the price – a suggested price tag of $145,000 and a showtime sales price of about $105,000.
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From Friday through Sunday, Jan. 31 - Feb. 2, thousands of show goers got to see and kick the tires on many awesome recreation vehicles at the Davenport RV Show, which was actually held at The Bend Expo in East Moline.
This shows part of the living room and kitchen areas in one of the vehicles.
This is the living room and kitchen areas of one of the vehicles on display at the 2025 Davenport RV Show at The Bend Expo in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
This is a [price tag on one of the RF vehicles at the show.
This is the bedroom in one of the vehicles.
This is the kitchen area of a fifth wheel model – a 2025 Grand Design Solitude 30FL – on display last weekend at the 2025 Davenport RV Show in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Three employees with Jeff Bright RV Center of Rock Falls, Illinois, get ready Friday, Jan. 31, for customers at the 2025 Davenport RV Show in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
“This is awesome. … This is something really special." said Mr. Klett of Rock Falls, Illinois.From Friday through Sunday, Jan. 31 - Feb. 2, thousands of show goers got to see and kick the tires on many awesome recreation vehicles at the Davenport RV Show, which was actually held at The Bend Expo in East Moline.The weekend show, presented by the RV Supershows organization, was expected to attract between 3,000 to 4,000 visitors, according to Rob Lynch, owner and president of RV Supershows.The show promoter RV Supershows presents RV shows all across the country. (Go here to see a schedule.) Some of those shows will bring in up to 35,000 visitors, he said while at the Davenport RV Show.No matter where the shows are, they all seem to have at least one thing in common these days – they are all doing great business and helping sell a lot of rec vehicles, Mr. Lynch said.“We’re breaking records every weekend at our shows. We roll out the red carpet for people. … They get an experience here. It’s an experience they would only get when they go to bigger cities,” he added.Part of the reason for the shows’ success is the changing political times. Mr. Lynch, who has produced more than 1,700 shows in almost 40 years, said the shows always see an uptick in business right after a presidential election; perhaps because the aftermath of elections get people in a mood to spend money.What really gets people in the spending mood, though, is seeing the selection of fifth wheels, campers and RVs on display, he said.The weekend show in East Moline had dozens of those vehicles filling almost every corner of The Bend Expo. And yes, show organizers literally had a red carpet on the floor connecting many of the RV vehicle vendors. One of those red carpets lead to a 2024 Winnebago Minnie travel traveler selling for about $34,000. The vendor had classic rock songs playing over speakers, hoping to attract customers. One of those songs playing outside the Winnebago was the Rolling Stone’s classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”Another vendor at the show was Campers Inn RV of Davenport. Auston Calvert, a sales associate with Campers Inn, said the business had about 31 units on display at the show. He added that business was good on Friday as people started looking over vehicles and dreaming about getting on the road.“We’ve had a lot of people just browsing around today. … I think they’ve all been impressed with everything they’ve seen here today,” Mr. Calvert added.In addition to the vehicles, the crowds were treated to prize give-aways and numerous educational seminars on all three days of the show. Seminars included tips on traveling with pets; a buyers’ guide seminar; and tips to making your RV trip more enjoyable.When visitors weren’t busy with the seminars, they visited the many vendors at the RV show. While most of the vendors showed rec vehicles or related products, there was a wide variety of goods and services being offered including golf carts, kitchen knives, boats, and gourmet popcorn.But, of course, the real stars of the show were the many rec vehicles – with a wide range of prices. For example, they ranged from a small camper called a 2025 Bontrager Compact for about $13,000, to a 35-foot long RV called an FR# Plus 33Z that had a suggested price tag of $228,000. (That vehicle was on sale for $152,000 during the show.)“A lot of people, though, have been asking about the models that come with their own decks on them,” said Dan Flores, a sales associate with Jeff Bright RV Center of Rock Falls, one of the dealers on hand.Mr. Flores pointed out a 2025 Brookstone 318RLL on display that is 42 feet long and includes a covered patio deck area.The Jeff Bright worker said that business was good at the show and at the Rock Falls dealership, adding that many people are in the RV shopping mood, even with the unknown factor of gas prices.“Gas prices are not a big factor with our customers. … A lot of people just park their RVs at a park, or they have the money to go on the road,” he added.Back at the 2025 Grand Design Solitude 30FL fifth wheel, Mr. Klett said he and his wife have been camping for about 30 years. He added that he was looking forward to getting on the road again and doing more camping. But the next camping trip might be made in a newer, bigger vehicle. He said he was seriously thinking about buying the fifth wheel.“We’re going to be talking to the guy about getting this. We really like it,” Mr. Klett said.