For Immediate Release:

Contact: Adam Starr, Show Manager (616) 447-2860
Tom Huggler, Show Publicist (616) 299-6142

Something old and something new are key features

At the Grand Rapids Camper, Travel & RV Show

Vintage travel trailers, adventure RV travelogues are in this year’s show

GRAND RAPIDS — First-time and veteran RV enthusiasts are in for a treat when the 3rd Annual Grand Rapids Camper, Travel & RV Show comes to DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids, January 15 to 18.

In addition to the 300 new motor homes, travel trailers, fifth wheels, truck campers and folding camping trailers several West Michigan dealers are bringing to the show, six vintage travel trailers will be on display, courtesy of local collector Ken Faber.

Faber, who lives in Wyoming, keeps a sharp eye for antique travel trailers that he and friends can restore in an old warehouse off 28th Street. Members of the Tin Can Tourists, Faber and his wife Petronella (Petey) have traveled throughout the country in antique car and travel-trailer caravans. His restorations have appeared on book covers, in magazines and newspapers. He is currently restoring a 1930s Palace trailer made in Flint for the Alfred Sloan Museum.

Vintage trailers like Faber’s 1963 Bambi model by Airstream, which cost $1,900 new, are worth as much as $25,000 when expertly restored to original condition. At the show, Faber plans to exhibit a 1930 Covered Wagon with wood-burning stove, made in Mt. Clemens, Michigan; a 1937 Hayes Motor Coach built at the former American Seating factory in Grand Rapids; and a 1958 Airstream Der Kleine Prinz (The Little Prince). This 10-foot-long, one-of-a-kind prototype is the smallest Airstream trailer ever built and was a personal favorite of company owner Wally Byam.

Fully-restored, classic tow vehicles will also be in the show. They include a 1937 Buick Special sedan, a 1955 GMC pickup, and a 1963 Chevrolet Impala.

The show also features special appearances by Jodie Ginter, who, along with partner John Holod, has traveled throughout North America in search of RV adventures. During all four days of the show, she will show clips from their popular DVD series that include Baja California, the Alaska Highway and Inside Passage, the Gulf Coast from Ft. Myers Florida to Padre Island Texas, and Natural Wonders of the Northeast and Southeast coasts.

Patrons planning trips to these and other areas can get tips and updated information from Ginter, who welcomes questions and will help with planning.

Besides the huge fleet of new RVs the seven dealers are bringing, expanded exhibits of RV accessories, campgrounds and travel destinations are a key part of the show.

Hours are Thursday, January 15 from 3 to 9:30 pm; Friday, January 16 from Noon to 9:30 pm; Saturday, January 17 from 10 am to 9 pm; and Sunday, January 18 from 11 am to 6 pm. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $3 for children 6 to 14, and free for children 5 and under. For more information, call 800-328-6550 or go to www.GrandRapidsRVShow.com. 

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Media Note:  To download high-resolution images, go to www.GrandRapidsRVShow.com and click on “For the Media” and then “Media Gallery”.