Hello - My wife and me have been doing artiest around the mid-west for 5 years now - we stay in motels and eat out while on the road which by the end of the season it adds up to a hefty $$$$ - So for next years season were thinking about getting a 29' RV and pull our 5x8 trailer behind it - currently we are using our car and pulling a trailer - so... before we get one, which we believe we could easily make the payment on the RV with the Hotel & Meals tab - Please share with us your experiences Pro or Con if you do artiest and travel in a RV w/ a trailer to events. + where do you stay with it during after hours. Is it possible even to get a RV thru the street during setup or teardown with a RV??
Thank You!!
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Thanks for the comments everyone!! Keep'em coming...
To quote Chris's comment below -- "piss off your fellow exhibitors" - hmm I thought that all artists are laid back old artistic hippie types, but from my experiences so far with just a car and trailer Im starting to believe thats not all true LOL
Here in Arizona it seems everyone has a RV (well over 60 anyways) and most shows have RV parking. Most times they do not allow you to bring it through the streets because they won't fit. The smartest thing I have seen people do is have a toy hauler and had a electric utility cart inside to bring things to and from the show.
The smartest thing I have seen done with an RV is to pull a vehicle behind with all the setup stuff and inventory. Once you have unloaded now you have a vehicle to drive around town too.
If you really want to piss off your fellow exhibitors, just pull a trailer with a 29ft RV to set up at a street fair. It's bad enough with the trailer people, and I own a trailer.
I know a few exhibitors who have RVs and they love them. Until it comes time to set up or tear down. 90% of the promoters I do business with will not allow an RV onto the field or street to set up. All of the owners must dolly in and out.
They also say the cost of owning an RV is pretty close to hotel costs, what with gas, insurance registration fees, etc. But they don't stay at the Ritz, they're happy with Motel 6.
What I would suggest is to calculate the costs of hotel stays for a proposed show schedule. Extrapolate that cost over say, 5 years, and that could be the price range of the RV.
I personally think the best exhibitor in my group has a Honda minivan for their work, and a teardrop trailer to sleep in.
I would think that a 29 ft. RV with a trailer behind it would be a pain in the butt to maneuver in many show locations and virtually impossible in others.. It would also block the spaces of 3 or 4 other artists that might want to have access to their space to set up or load out. I don't remember ever seeing a RV/Trailer pulled up in front of someone's tent.
You most likely would have to locate the nearest place you could park it and dolly everything in and hope no one parks so close behind your trailer that you can't unload it.
I'm sure some do it...but it has to sometimes be a royal pain.
I know people do it - We've seen it quite often - the last show even had a artist RV parking