RV industry taking a hit

[HBarlow]

Don't count the RV industry as dead. It is slow but the well-managed manufacturers with good product will recover.



As soon as the elections are over the media will quit talking the economy down. The overall US economy is actually not bad except on ABC, CBS, CNN, & MSNBC. Fuel prices will stablilize at a price lower than they currently are although, sadly, not at previous levels.



Baby boomers are retiring and many have earned good incomes, saved, and invested for their dream of becoming full-time RVers are at least frequent RV travelers. Many also have hugely appreciated homes in markets like SoCal and plan to sell them and buy those "white elephants" Gary referred to above.



A couple of my old RV transporter buddies are still busy hauling new trailers although the majority are going to Allberta, CN where the oil and gas industry is very strong and their economy is better than ours right now.



RV sales are slow but sufficient for most manufacturers and dealers to survive if they are overloaded with debt.



The RV industry will slowly recover in a year or so unless something unexpected and traumatic occurs.



It is a great time for a smart buyer to find a huge bargain in an expensive diesel pusher motorhome or high dollar fifth wheel. Two years from now they'll very likely be considered geniuses.

 

[DonTX]

Yeah Grizzly, that did not come out the way I intended. My european car rental is a whopping 1200cc, and will likely get me around 40 miles down the road for that $8. 88. My $4-5 gallon of diesel will only get me 14 miles down the road (or less if I can't get smart enough to slow down)

 

[Grizzly]

Yeah Grizzly, that did not come out the way I intended. My european car rental is a whopping 1200cc, and will likely get me around 40 miles down the road for that $8. 88. My $4-5 gallon of diesel will only get me 14 miles down the road (or less if I can't get smart enough to slow down)

Sorry Don, I couldn't resist.

 

[DonTX]

I am old enough to have seen this so many times. Gasoline goes up a few cents, everybody sells their gas hogs and RV's. It goes up another fifty cents and they buy them again. Seems like an endless cycle of "shock effects". The only smart thing to do is buy what you need at the bottom of the slump, and sell what you don't need after the market rebounds. The problem I am having right now is that the sellers I am trying to deal with have not realized the market has gone soft! I may have to beat up on some of them to get my point across!

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

The problem I am having right now is that the sellers I am trying to deal with have not realized the market has gone soft! I may have to beat up on some of them to get my point across!

YUP - my point earlier...



I've been sorta interested in one of the smaller and lower end diesel MH's - about a 24-28 footer, so we can stay in RV CG's and tow the boat - some interesting buys popping up - might get one yet...

 

[starkmr]

You may find larger 5ers etc going down in price, but the trick is to find a lender that will finance it. Last I checked, you couldn't get a loan for anymore than wholesale value so about a 25% down payment is required (and smart).



I'll just keep mine, it's served me well.

 

[DonTX]

I just sold my neighbors Class A diesel pusher on Craigslist. He paid $189,000. 00 for it, still like new with a Cummins 5. 9, Allison, 29000 miles. After many months, we got $28,500 for it, less than he still owed on it!

 

[DonTX]

That is an interesting, I had not thought of that facet of RVs. Probably a pretty good prediction of what they think the market will be.

You may find larger 5ers etc going down in price, but the trick is to find a lender that will finance it. Last I checked, you couldn't get a loan for anymore than wholesale value so about a 25% down payment is required (and smart).



I'll just keep mine, it's served me well.

 

[hammersley]

Comments like this really Tee me OFF!!!!

"For me it has and will mean less hassle getting an RV spot at a State or National Park. "



Great - take advantage and essentially make fun of those who would love to be there also but because of the $$$$ for fuel won't... . I'll bet people who also share this attitude enjoy tripping old people... ...

 

[DHayden]

"For me it has and will mean less hassle getting an RV spot at a State or National Park. "



Great - take advantage and essentially make fun of those who would love to be there also but because of the $$$$ for fuel won't... . I'll bet people who also share this attitude enjoy tripping old people... ...

come on now, because you can still afford to do things others cant in no way relates to taking advantage of anyone. Thats like saying someone who can afford a private jet is taking advantage of people who have to fly commercial.

 

[SHobbs]

That would depend on how long the trip is. Start adding up the costs of traveling without like hotels and food, and the difference will shrink rapidly. Unless you are staying at Motel 6 and eating at McDonlds every day:-laf. Myself I have found decent hotel rooms are all becoming $100-150, heck even motel 6 can be $60 now.

I am looking at about 1500 miles towing the 5er with about another 100 or so messing around up there. At around 10-12 mpg towing compared to 17 mpg empty the saving is pretty substantial. To take the 5er would run me about $900 in fuel.



Now I can run empty and pay around $500 in fuel, cabin will cost $270 for the time there. Throw in meals and fishing fees and the whole trip can be done for around $1000.

 

[JLandry]

I just sold my neighbors Class A diesel pusher on Craigslist. He paid $189,000. 00 for it, still like new with a Cummins 5. 9, Allison, 29000 miles. After many months, we got $28,500 for it, less than he still owed on it!

You mean he got $128,500 for it... right???



John L.

 

[DonTX]

No, I mean we got $28. 500, and that was like pulling teeth. Was a very expensive couple of trips he took for sure. After all those years of big monthly payments, he had to pay someone to take it off his hands by adding money to the sale money to pay off the note!

The smart money was from the guy that bought it!.

 

[hammersley]

And did you or anyone let anybody here

know about this??????

 

[KBalzuweit]

I am looking at about 1500 miles towing the 5er with about another 100 or so messing around up there. At around 10-12 mpg towing compared to 17 mpg empty the saving is pretty substantial. To take the 5er would run me about $900 in fuel.



Now I can run empty and pay around $500 in fuel, cabin will cost $270 for the time there. Throw in meals and fishing fees and the whole trip can be done for around $1000.

I would still take the 5er, otherwise why own it?? Besides sleeping in my own bed would be worth it to me.

No, I mean we got $28. 500, and that was like pulling teeth. Was a very expensive couple of trips he took for sure. After all those years of big monthly payments, he had to pay someone to take it off his hands by adding money to the sale money to pay off the note!

The smart money was from the guy that bought it!.

That just seems like a a stupid move to me, for 28k he should have kept it. Heck I can think of several dealers, a ton of wholesalers, and likely several members here that would have paid more. For example a 2000 American Eagle pusher with only 1 slide is still bringing 80 to 95k retail. Wholesale 60k or so.

 

[DHayden]

know about this??????

You wouldnt have wanted to take advantage of the guy would you? :-laf:-laf

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

come on now, because you can still afford to do things others cant in no way relates to taking advantage of anyone. Thats like saying someone who can afford a private jet is taking advantage of people who have to fly commercial.

It wasn't so much what was said earlier:

"For me it has and will mean less hassle getting an RV spot at a State or National Park. "

... but the way it was put!



It sounded far too much like gloating that the ABSENSE of individuals unable or unwilling to afford to now stay in places the poster likes, was a welcomed bonus and advantage, as they could now have freer and relaxed ability to enjoy THEIR stay, free of that less well-off riff-raff they'd otherwise have had to share space with...



Sorta that old "let them eat cake" attitude...



Would have been far more tactful and less abrasive to simply observe that there may well be far more vacancies in various RV parks over the next few years...



Would have been just as accurate - but FAR less demeaning than having your nose rubbed in the dirt by someone who apparently considers themselves a bit further up the ladder of financial success than the rest of us distasteful "commoners"...

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Would have been just as accurate - but FAR less demeaning than having your nose rubbed in the dirt by someone who apparently considers themselves a bit further up the ladder of financial success than the rest of us distasteful "commoners"...

WHICH, I might add, is the major source of my impatience, disgust and revulsion towards those insensitive others in regards to current futures market speculators, and resulting runaway fuel costs.



Since some of those individuals are themselves, so far, relatively untouched by these increased costs that so seriously affect others, they seem content to complacently take the cavalier attitude that the financial manipulations and manipulators that are causing these conditions are completely within their moral right to freely do so, and that the undesirable Peons who are affected are merely reaping the natural and rightful punishment for their own lack of proper financial planning - and fully DESERVE what they are getting...



More of that "let them eat cake" attitude...

 

[cksh8me]

It's not that the fuel price on the trip stops you from going its the fuel prices during the week, month, 6 months leading up to your vacation that stop people from going.



If you drive at all your fuel bill could have gone up a couple of hundred bucks a month. If you started saving for your vacation 6 months in advance you've spent an extra 1200 bucks you weren't planning on.



Along with the raising cost of other things like food, and utilities.



My wifes schedule allows her to go camping during the week when I work she can make 3 trips to the beach on a tank of gas in my 97 with the camper.



I shoot 3 gun on the weekends 1k rounds of 223 went up from $170 to almost $500 shotgun shells went up $25 for 250 pistol rounds went up double on 100 rounds. Yes I reload but the componets went up too. Then throw in the cost of fuel to get where I"m going and I can see how people don't want to spend an extra $200 on fuel for a vacation.

 

[DonTX]

Well, if you think it is a great deal, the "buyer" just crapped out this morning, seems like the half million he had an "investment broker" invest for him is now only worth $10k, and he was too stupid to even know that! I just put it back on Craigslist, if you know someone interested, it needs to go away now.

Winnebago diesel pusher - PRICE LOWERED! (recreational vehicles)

That just seems like a a stupid move to me, for 28k he should have kept it. Heck I can think of several dealers, a ton of wholesalers, and likely several members here that would have paid more. For example a 2000 American Eagle pusher with only 1 slide is still bringing 80 to 95k retail. Wholesale 60k or so.