RVs for the wealthy: Why a Middle Tennessee motorhome expo costs $1,495 to attend
The first-ever Music City Motorhome Expo coming to Wilson County next year is being billed as a high-end VIP event for big spenders with a theory that more money will lead to more sales.
National Indoor RV Centers will hold the expo for recreational vehicle enthusiasts from June 4-7 at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon.
Cost to attend the Motorhome Expo is $1,495 per coach with two people for the entire weekend or $495 per person for a one-day pass. The package includes onsite camping, meals and snacks and nightly concerts and a refund with the purchase or order of a new motorhome within a year of the event.
“Make no mistake, this is not a rally, nor is it a for-profit RV show hosting tens of thousands of people looking for something to do with their families,” National Indoor RV Centers founder and President Brett Davis said. “This is a very high-end shopping experience befitting customers who are spending the sums of money on today’s motorhomes cost.”
Pricing for motorhomes at the expo is estimated to range from just over $142,000 to $1.7 million, organizers said.
American Coach, Entegra, Fleetwood RV, Holiday Rambler, Newmar and Winnebago will be among the brands with 2025 Class A gas and diesel models on display. American Coach, Entegra, Grech RV, Pleasure Way and Winnebago will have Class B and C motorhomes at the expo.
National Indoor RV Centers announced the addition of Tiffin Motorhomes to its offerings last week.
Josh Turner and Diamond Rio are scheduled as entertainment.
“(It) has the opportunity to change the whole buying experience and, quite frankly, be a disruptor in the industry,” said Niles Whitehouse, VP Sales & Service for Winnebago Motorhomes.
About 600 people and 300 RVs are estimated to attend at this point plus those who purchase single-day passes, according to organizers.
The Music City Motorhome Expo event could bring substantial sales tax dollars to the state, but not as much to Lebanon or Wilson County, where the sales tax is 9.75 cents on $1, officials said.
The state receives 7 cents of that sales tax amount and would get $70,000 per $1 million sold. However, the local option portion of the sales tax applies only to the first $1,600 for items that cost more than that amount, Wilson County Finance Director Aaron Maynard said.
National Indoor RV Centers recently opened a new 189,350-square-foot sales and services facility on Aubrey Drive in Lebanon. The business now has six locations, and the Nashville center has about 50 employees with plans to grow its workforce to 80.
For information or to register for the Music City Motorhome Expo, visit musiccitymotorhomeexpo.com.
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Middle Tennessee expo has performers, adding Tiffin RVs, more for sale
