RV show under way at state fairgrounds

Raleigh, N.C. — The 20th Annual North Carolina RV and Camping Show is under way at the Dorton Arena at the N.C. State Fairgrounds.

The big ticket items can be a hard sell with the unsteady economy. Recreational vehicle production is also down to half of what it was two years ago, Open Rage RV’s Randy Graber said Friday.

Graber said the customers he targets are retirees with available money.

“We are not talking about the weekend camper necessarily here,” Graber said.

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RVs, campers on display at fairgrounds

The event has models costing up to $1 million and some miniature versions for a fraction of that.

The r-pod Ultra Lite Travel Trailer by Forest River is one of the cheaper models at the show. The $11,000 trailer is lighter so it can be pulled with a more fuel efficient car.

“It is just a miniature version of a 30-foot travel trailer,” Country Roads RV Center’s Jeff Zimmerman said.

Kerry Guest said he takes the RV he purchased last year everywhere. He said people who travel will find the more expensive trailers a bargain and a way to keep the family together.

After factoring in ownership costs and fuel, show organizers say a family of four can save as much as 60 percent on vacations by traveling in an RV.

The show continues through Sunday.