Peterborough Motorhome Show. What did we miss

We went and just did general camping which was fine but very little interaction with neighbours. The show itself seemed low on stock and visitors. Lots of campervans though. More accessories than I remember from last year . The entertainment on Friday was good. Didn't expect to like the Take That tribute but they were good. The Blues Brothers tribute was excellent. How they keep that kind of energy amazes me! Saturdays entertainment was ok, Sonia a glorified karaoke act and T'Pau and Go West were good if you were a fan.
We'd go again but missed the Funsters
 
Definitely more trade stands than our last visit. But…quite a bit of duplication in what was being sold. Less Motorhomes but a lot of (imo) expensive small campervans and conversions. Had a good onion bhaji but didn’t like the steak pie😂.

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We arrived Thursday 12ish in general and lazed in the sunshine for the afternoon. Friday had a wander around the show, as has been said plenty of trade stands and quite a PVC's and few other types. Very busy for a Friday we thought. Didn't go to any of the entertainment.
Saturday we walked into Peterborough and Susan got blisters.
Sunday was another lazy day with another visit to the show, quite a few motorhomes with sold on them, traders seemed happy enough so a good show for them I think.
Never noticed electric pitches before although I knew they were available, but their must have been well over a 100, also on looking at upcoming shows all the electric for the next two are sold out, I suppose the availability of electric pitches will only increase. £40 extra for 4 nights.
With the paltry provision of solar panels on new motorhomes and the fitting of compressor fridges, most will struggle to survive 4 nights if the weather is crap and you want the heating or telly on, so I can understand the desire for electric.
 
We went, it was better than last year. Entertainment was OK with Friday the best. What really did amaze me was the price of of accessories that were being sold and how they differed from stall to another
Example
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£12.50 for 15... purchased on another stall £8.00 for 15 ... same peg, same box

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£10 each... purchased on another stall £8.50 with a free micro cloth

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£8.50 for 4 ... purchased on another stall, same brand £6 for 4

A lot of stall holders were trying to recoup some losses i think
 
Good to read that the trade stands are returning. It was so disappointing last year that I did not make the effort this year. Hope the Western show will be up to its usual standard.
ezee
 
We attended the show with MCC enjoyed seeing plenty of people and stands as already said a lot of £80k VWs with big wheels & tyres.
we did have a few in the Moose Bar, all in a good weekend strange that the MHF area was taken up by Facts & Carthago owners club.
 
olley said:
, I suppose the availability of electric pitches will only increase. £40 extra for 4 nights.
With the paltry provision of solar panels on new motorhomes and the fitting of compressor fridges, most will struggle to survive 4 nights if the weather is crap and you want the heating or telly on, so I can understand the desire for electric.
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If a Motorhome can't survive without EHU I consider it not fit for purpose.

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I think that the open air shows are finished. We haven't exhibited at an open air show since 2016

We arrived on our stand
Jim said:
I was speaking to Sally at Warners today and she said they were easily back to 2019 levels of campers and visitors.
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That bad eh?
 
Lenny HB said:
If a Motorhome can't survive without EHU I consider it not fit for purpose.
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I guess it depends on the person. Some are ok with surviving others like to live and have all the extras. Everyone is different.
 
We went with the CCC, not the place to buy a motorhome anymore, just expensive used ones and the very expensive Ford Custom or VW campers.
£54-65k for a second hand Ford Custom van with 15-30k miles on them, looked very well done though.
The only new 2022/23 motorhomes were on the Adria stand, two of them.
Plenty of stands but heard a couple of stall holders complaining about the price they paid, £1200 and £1400.
We never booked the entertainment.
Someone in the Carthago owners camp was flying a smiley face flag right next to the Motorhome Facts camp 😊

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Lenny HB said:
If a Motorhome can't survive without EHU I consider it not fit for purpose.
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And yet so many can’t survive without EHU, l read on here not long ago of someone saying why nit free up space in the MH by leaving out the Toilet and Shower compartment 😮 it’s not difficult to work out their outfit prior to a MH.
 
Lenny HB said:
Just need to kit your van out properly it's not difficult.
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Some don’t like humping a generator around for the hair dryer etc and if they don’t use it all year round it’s a lot of money for extra goodies when EHU is as and when they needed it. Like I said people don’t have to camp the same as everyone else, all different.
 
eddievanbitz said:
That bad eh?
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Well, yes it has gone downhill over the last few years. Not sure if it was when the big dealers stopped attending, or it was slipping already so the big dealers stopped attending.

But things change, I'm sure Warners model will change with it and things will become more entertainment based than motorhome focussed if they aren't already.
 
As younger people come to the shows it’s bound to change in format. A few years ago how many YouTube people would have been there?
 
Jim said:
Well, yes it has gone downhill over the last few years. Not sure if it was when the big dealers stopped attending, or it was slipping already so the big dealers stopped attending.

But things change, I'm sure Warners model will change with it and things will become more entertainment based than motorhome focussed if they aren't already.
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Exactly We stopped exhibiting at Peterborough in 2016 (I think lol) We exhibited at the very first Peterborough show, I remember it as our youngest Son, Nick, was three days old!

It was a great hit straight away with the public and the trade alike, and was, "the show" for many years. Sadly, it changed the Peterborough showground changed, the internet came along, magazines waned and the shows were no longer the "must go to" place to see the latest goodies and gadgets.

We Van Bitz would take our exhibition unit, and a couple of motorhomes and have a great social time as well as a productive show financially, sadly this changed slowly over the years so that it was just a waste of money to exhibit at the open air shows, Peterborough in particular.

This wasn't down to our business model, as we were busier than ever back at HQ, but as a business, we would loose two weeks realistically to exhibit Thursday PM till Sunday PM getting everything ready, time off, travelling and sorting things out after the show

I think that the shows will become more "festival based" music, entertainment, workshops, craft demonstration, especially as the next generations start thinking about Newbury rather than Glastonbury lol

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We stayed 4 nights, with the CCC and must confess not as friendly as our group. everything Seems that much more expensive. Coach trip into Peterborough was a plus. Ccc not impressed that I needed a little more space to put my awning up, grumpy attitude. Don’t think I will be renewing this year. Life too short.
 
eddievanbitz said:
Exactly We stopped exhibiting at Peterborough in 2016 (I think lol) We exhibited at the very first Peterborough show, I remember it as our youngest Son, Nick, was three days old!

It was a great hit straight away with the public and the trade alike, and was, "the show" for many years. Sadly, it changed the Peterborough showground changed, the internet came along, magazines waned and the shows were no longer the "must go to" place to see the latest goodies and gadgets.

We Van Bitz would take our exhibition unit, and a couple of motorhomes and have a great social time as well as a productive show financially, sadly this changed slowly over the years so that it was just a waste of money to exhibit at the open air shows, Peterborough in particular.

This wasn't down to our business model, as we were busier than ever back at HQ, but as a business, we would loose two weeks realistically to exhibit Thursday PM till Sunday PM getting everything ready, time off, travelling and sorting things out after the show

I think that the shows will become more "festival based" music, entertainment, workshops, craft demonstration, especially as the next generations start thinking about Newbury rather than Glastonbury lol
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You were there in 2017 as we bought a van that year in Peterborough and we discussed alarm and tracker. :)
 
We attended as traders. There were a lot more traders, no big dealers. There were too many duplicated traders making it unprofitable for many, especially the newer less hardened ones.
There was a large camping turnout.
I attended the blues bros entertainment and my wife attended some of the paid entertainment and it was good.
Its not easy earning a profit at these shows these days when Warners let too many duplicated sellers trade at their shows.
We are thinking wether to continue or just stick to our online business.
 
Lenny HB said:
If a Motorhome can't survive without EHU I consider it not fit for purpose.
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I look at it as a mh is for travelling,anything else is a caravan.
jezport said:
Warners let too many duplicated sellers trade at their shows.
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They are only interested in the rent. Same happens here at local hypermarket centre.Carrefours allowed 5 shops selling identical stock to open. All ends in tears for the traders

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People like live entertainment, go back in time there used to be works clubs etc with turns/acts on Friday and Saturday nights , may be the show as entertainment wise is filling a gap. Just as on line sales are taking the trade sales entertainment might be coming back, it all goes in circles and moves on.
 
Ivory55 said:
Some don’t like humping a generator around for the hair dryer etc and if they don’t use it all year round it’s a lot of money for extra goodies when EHU is as and when they needed it. Like I said people don’t have to camp the same as everyone else, all different.
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Very few people hump generators around.
Our set up is fairly basic, 3 batteries & 300 Watts of solar & we can survive without EHU.
 
Lenny HB said:
Very few people hump generators around.
Our set up is fairly basic, 3 batteries & 300 Watts of solar & we can survive without EHU.
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Yes survive, everyone has different ways of enjoying themselves and may be surviving is not for them. Everyone is different.
 

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