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Hernando Today

RV Rally Attendance Is Lowest Ever

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: February 8, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - The aerial photo of this week's motor coach rally showed it all.

There were more empty spaces than ever before.

Attendance is down. In fact, it's down by more than 50 percent compared to the first few years it was held in Brooksville more than a decade ago.

"There's definitely a drop off," said Marie Gelfand, one of the many vendors at the Southeast area Family Motor Coach Association rally. "I think it's the economy. The people who do it full-time don't have the investment money to do this as much. They're much more selective about where they go."

The event is four days long and continues through today. It is located along a 35-acre area at the Hernando County Airport.

"There's a drop off in attendance this year, but I'm not sure if it's the economy or the Florida weather," said Dave Higman, who runs the Little Richard food vendor. "I just don't see as many motor homes."

The low temperatures Friday reached 19 degrees. It was 26 degrees the day before.

"It was the coldest rally since I can remember," said Charlie Schrenkel, president of the association. "We had to rent heaters for the entertainment (tent) the other day ... We've never had to do that in the past."

There are other factors to consider that might have caused the lower-than-normal attendance.

The upcoming national rally in Georgia is about a month away. Some motor home enthusiasts don't want to travel thousands of miles to the Southeast twice in five weeks, said Schrenkel.

Secondly, RV sales are down nationwide. People aren't buying them as often due to shrinking investment accounts. Those trends, however, aren't showing up as much in Florida, Schrenkel said.

"We're not doing bad at all," said John Terry, a sales representative with Longview RV out of Dover. "The banks are a little slow about giving out money, but people are still shopping and buying."

Florida is a popular RV state. A lot of customers buy and trade, particularly in the Tampa area. There might be a dip in sales, but it doesn't feel as though a recession is happening, Terry said.

He had just finished showing three couples in the inside of a 37-foot motor home - which included a king-sized bed, two flat-screen televisions, shower facilities, a small kitchen and several oak wood cabinets and storage space - not to mention the white leather seats.

John and Jeanette Pearce, of Polk City, were undeterred by the cold weather Thursday and Friday. They were blissfully cutting meat from a smoked turkey leg at a picnic bench near the rows of food vendors.

"I like the seminars," said John Pearce. "It's a learning experience coming here."

The seminars range in topics from what to expect at the Canadian border to weight safety and maintenance.

"A lot of time, you go to rallies and it's all fluff," said Pearce. "Here, it's more serious and they give you good information."

In 1998, total attendance was nearly 3,200 motor homes. This year, it was barely more than 1,300, Schrenkel said.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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