From today until Sunday, the University of Phoenix’s 130,000-square-foot stadium in Phoenix, Ariz., becomes the Class B capital of the world.
The Super B RV show, hosted by La Mesa RV Center, saw more than 4,000 attendees last year, hailing from as far as Illinois and Indiana.
The first Super B show was launched in 2016 as a response to what various manufacturers were doing. The Class B trend had grown significantly by then, in a large part driven by Winnebago’s Era built on the Sprinter chassis, and other lines later built on the Dodge ProMaster.
“Other manufacturers were coming out with products to compete or similar to these, and it just started exploding. This is a different type of person that buys a Class B motorhome,” said Steve Love of La Mesa RV and show organizer. “The Millennial generation – the people that want to have quick getaways, but they don’t want the big motorhome.”
Another leading demographic, he said, is comprised of first-time RV owners in their 60s.
Variations of Class B’s have started to include bike racks, kayak and advancing technological upgrades like lithium-ion batteries from Xantrex (Coachmen’s Galleria) and Truma heaters. More recently, Mercedes introduced an all-electric Sprinter, destined to pick up steam. Erwin Hymer’s Roadtrek lines embrace solar and lithium-ion batteries as well, enabling off-the-grid for longer periods.
Overall, the Super B show has become a celebration of a unique breed of minimalist RVers seeking multi-purpose motorhomes.
Love said the show spurred from an “entrepreneurial judgement” to focus on Class B’s. The first year, about 75 Class B’s were on the floor with Class C’s and other RVs peppered in, backfilled with other products.
In 2016, several people came up to the organizers, thanking them for creating a show promoting Class B’s.
This year, the show boasts about 180 Class B’s, making it exclusive to the model type, allowing customers to directly compare lines parked side-by-side. And the manufacturers have jumped from four to 12.
“It’s almost like its own automotive show. Think of L.A., Detroit, and Chicago auto show. Each manufacturer has an individualized display of their products,” said Love. “As far as we know, this is the only show of its type in the country.”
The show is located a 1 Cardinals Drive in Glendale, Ariz., and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day from April 12 to 15.