Another week of bad RV industry news.

[Crewleader]

Friday, December 5, 2008


Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing


Another week of bad RV industry news.
This week SunnyBrook RV, makers of towable RVs laid off half of its workforce and the largest Jellystone RV park filed bankruptcy. Meanwhile attendance at the opening day at the prestigious National RV Trade Show fell 37% from what it was last year.

The dealer attendance was even worse and are you surprised? After all, we’ve lost so many RV manufacturers
and dealers this year I’ve lost count.

I may not the the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I know a trend when I see one. With the big three automakers up against the wall and begging congress for a bailout is it any wonder discretionary spending categories like boats and RVs have fallen off a cliff? The present RV industry is a dinosaur destined for extinction.




http://rvnow.rvtravel.com/

[TwilightGardener]

1. As an RV owner, $4 gas was the kick in the gut. At that point, going

camping has become more expensive than just staying in a hotel. Yeah, state park campgrounds might only charge $10-20 per night, and you can still cook meals in the camper, but towing an RV with a big V8-engine pickup for hundreds of miles wipes all of that out. We've had to limit our trip this past summer to a much closer destination (originally planned to go camping in the Grand Tetons and see Yellowstone).

[Old Codger]

2. Same here

Mad one trip this year, we have foster children and that gets us free at state camp grounds but still could only go once instead of the usual 4-5 ..

[AnneD]

3. RV's may become ....

the luxury homes of the future is the housing foreclosure crisis continues. We will all be living in a Wally world parking lot.

[Citizen Number 9]

4. Wally World Parking Lot?

OK, but will it save energy?

[AnneD]

8. They will be a niche market...

I live in one as a permanent home (well semi).
1)It is cheaper than an apartment-so that helps me pay down debt and save money. Utilities are cheap too.
2)I can travel to another job site if needed with out the trauma or drama.
3)Handy in hurricane season- I can get the hell out of dodge.
4)I owe it outright-can't be foreclosed on or evicted-I can just move to another area.

At this point in my live...I love it. It is the perfect answer for me. I sleep very well at night. One day I will have a 'stick ' house-probably pick up a foreclosed house for a song and pay for it in cash.

[Citizen Number 9]

5. Sorry if RVing is your thing, but...

If it depends absolutely on cheap petroleum energy, then I don't have much problem with saying BYE-BYE....

[TwilightGardener]

6. I'm glad you can afford air fare and hotels for family vacations.

A lot of people buy campers and RV's because once they're paid off, it's a low-cost way to spend time out in some scenic places with your kids, fishing, hiking, etc.

[Citizen Number 9]

9. Do the RV activities depend on cheap gas?

Or will folks do them regardless of the price of RV fuel?

[TwilightGardener]

10. Gas prices make it harder to go very far--but then, taking ANY long trip

by car is affected by gas prices.

[pscot]

7. It's hard to believe that RV dealers

or RVers in general have much of a future, given our economic problems and our energy troubles. If the economy recovers, the price of gas will go right backn up to $4 and beyond.

[Hawkowl]

11. Alternative fuels is key

A bio-diesel, fuel cell, or 100% ethanol R.V.'s will be the key to their survival. What better vehicle to sell as a green vehicle than an R.V? I don't see the dinosaurs becoming extinct. I see them evolving into birds.