2025 Florida RV SuperShow Preview, RV Refrigerator Basics, Travel Advice

This week on the RV Podcast:

• A 2025 Florida RV SuperShow Preview of all the hot new RVs that will be shown at this year's gathering in Tampa
• What you need to know about RV Refrigerators, solid advice from one of the top experts in the industry
• All this plus the the Social Media Buzz and your questions coming up in Episode 530 of the RV Podcast

You can watch the video version from our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel by clicking the player below.

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The 40th anniversary of the Florida RV Supershow

This is the 40th anniversary of the Florida RV Supershow, and representation from every major RV manufacturer, as well as hundreds of accessory booth exhibitors, will be there. Some of the country’s finest campgrounds and resorts will also have booth exhibits to show attendees the best camping opportunities found anywhere. 

Plus, a huge display of camping accessories and supplies will be found in the General RV Store.

The show encompasses 2 million square feet of exhibit space at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa and will feature over 1,350 brand-new RV products. To see the interactive map click HERE.

Over 450 booth exhibitors showcasing the latest and greatest RV after-market products and destinations are in Tampa this week.

It opens to the public on Wednesday, Jan 15, and ends at sundown Sunday, January 19. Over 80,000 people are expected, depending, of course, on the weather, which is forecast to be dry with temps in the 60’s most days.

There will be lots of new floor plans and updated models from all of the manufacturers, with lots of hype. 

But the show always features introductions of brand new models and this year is no exception.

New RVs to be introduced this year

At last count, according to show organizers in a news release sent out over the weekend, there will be six new Class B models, two Class C introductions, two Super C introductions, five Fifth Wheel product debuts, nine new travel trailer models, one new toy hauler, and three new truck campers! 

Here are just a few of the many new RVs that will be making their first appearance at the show:

• The Italian-made Winghamm Class B Oasi 540.1 on the Fiat chassis will be introduced to the US market, and the company is making a big splash at the Hard Rock Casino with a press party announcement last night in which they will say this long-promised and uniquely styled van will be in production and sold in the US market by this summer
• Montana will show to the public for the very first time a new Fifth Wheel with a side patio and will also show models with dedicated and quite deluxe office space aimed at those who work from the road.
• Brinkley, which made its debut with Fifth Wheels three years ago at the Florida RV Supershow,  then followed up with travel trailers last year,  will this year introduce a much-anticipated new toyhauler at Tampa.
• Coachmen will introduce a new Class B van with a pop top called the Pixel
• The monstrous SpaceCraft Fifth Wheel RV which is so big it needs to be hauled by a semi tractor-trailer, will introduce a very roomy new two-bedroom model.
• And on the other end of the scale, Nu-Camp is introducing two versions of brand new teardrop ultra light trailers called the Tab.

If you're heading to the Florida RV Supershow in Tampa this month, come meet us at the Montana display, booth 770. We’ll be doing meet and greets there at 1 PM on Thursday and Friday, January 20 and 21. We'll be delighted to meet you. Here's where you'll find us on the official map.

RV CONVERSATION OF THE WEEK (Replay) Refrigerator Basics

This week’s conversation is a replay with Todd Henson from the National RV Training Academy. 

Few things are as mysterious and, frankly, complicated as RV refrigerators.

Do you have a compressor or absorption refrigerator? 

Find out all about the differences and challenges for both in our conversation with Todd Henson. Listen or watch the interview in the players above.

SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ – Wendy Bowyer

Wendy Bowyer reports on the hot issues most talked about this past week on social media and our RV Lifestyle Community group.

This week in our RVLifestyle Community, we have had a lot of talk about roads and bad weather, as many people found themselves hit with unusual weather while RVing. We also are VERY close to selling out our Rally in Nashville. We are going camping in Nashville this April with our final night attending the Grand Ole Opry. And this week we are going to showcase some exclusive reports from the Tampa RV Show for the community only – can't wait!

Then over in our RVLifestyle Facebook Group, many posts this week on staying warm in your RV. One such post was from Jeremy.  He shared a picture of a Fifth Wheel neatly encircled by a skirt and wrote: “Our first winter with our daughter living in an RV. Installed a plywood skirt with insulation board and two heat lamps. Yesterday was 13 and today 18 degrees here in Oklahoma and so far so good. “

Sounds like Jeremy spent about $450 and made this air-tight skirt around the Fifth Wheel that he painted and finished and frankly, it looked so neat and professional!

And I wasn't the only one who thought this way. More than 840 commented, saying things like: “great job!”, “neat and professional” and “nice and sturdy!” Thanks for sharing this, Jeremy!

The other topic people are posting a lot on is trip planning. 

Tammy shared a picture of the big trip her family plans to make this year with something like 43 stops. Her trip starts in Florida, runs along the Gulf Coast and Southwest, then up the West Coast, where it eventually cuts over somewhere around Oregon to Montana, then east and south, and back to Florida. Tammy wrote:  “Super excited that this is all planned. Well, I haven’t done the exact campgrounds yet, but I do have all the major national parks reserved. “

Tammy used RV Parky to help her plan the trip, which she plans to make over three months. It looks like Tammy received lots of tips of things to consider and places to see while she is out. And it looks like Tammy's trip inspired many people.  Have a great trip, Tammy, and hope you share some pictures from the road!

RV QUESTION OF THE WEEK

We used one of the RVs at the RV show as a prop to help answer this week’s Question of the Week about how an oven can be used for extra storage space.

MIKE & JEN’S STORYTIME

Cold weather led to a frozen hitch that made it hard to hook up the other morning. We share the story of a cold morning in Ocala, FL, this past week. Make sure you listen or WATCH the podcast to enjoy this story from the road.