Thursday, January 19, 2012
DUNEDIN, FL – Usually when we first arrive somewhere, we like to do a bit of exploring to see the lay of the land and get our bearings. It was a bit different today, as John and Fawn had an appointment at Lazydays in Tampa to look at a new fifth wheel trailer that they are hoping to buy, and we were going along for the ride. We have lots of time for exploring in the days to come.
Val’s brother has been coming to Florida for years, and he and Fawn love to get away from the wintry weather. Rather than dragging their small fifth wheel down here from Ottawa each year, they decided they’d like something they could leave here – and having a bit more space for the two of them and Algarve, the pooch, was also an attractive notion.
After exploring some options, they found a pre-owned fifth wheel that looked quite attractive. And, when the seller dropped the price to meet their spending ceiling, it looked even better. We went with them to Lazydays in Tampa to have a look at the rig. The deal isn’t final yet, but we were glad to have a peek at it ahead of time.
To anyone who hasn’t been to Lazydays in Tampa, it’s an eye opener. I think it is the largest RV sales and service centre anywhere – it covers 250 acres of land! There is a huge central building where the sales offices and reception area are located, plus a service area that has bays for more than 200 RVs to be repaired, retro-fitted or detailed for sale. Then there are huge parking areas for new RVs for sale, plus pre-owned ones, as well as for people with RVs to park, or stay, while selling or buying new units.
The grounds are beautifully groomed with palm trees, colourful shrubs and flowerbeds, and golf carts purr along the pathways, shuttling customers (actually, they prefer to call them “guests”) from one sector to another. Inside the main building, there is a large cafeteria where you can help yourself to tea, coffee or soft drinks, or even a tasty lunch if it’s lunchtime, all at no charge! And everyone is as friendly as can be. We spoke to Dennis, one of the employees, and he said he loves working there. There was a very positive feeling about the place.
John and Fawn’s prospective trailer looks gorgeous, with four slides, a workstation, flat-screen TV, fireplace, gracious bedroom and well-appointed kitchen area. It’s in beautiful condition as well. If the deal goes through, they will have a great, roomy place to enjoy for many winters to come.
Back at our little motorhome, we felt the contrast as we danced past each other in the compact space, but we are geared for a different type of RV experience, to which this unit is well-suited. Today, we saw the entire range of choices that people have if they are interested in recreational vehicles. Mega-super-duper just about describes it.
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