Fewer RV's

linux3 · 01-08-2023, 05:48 PM

This is my 7th season storing my TT in a nice tight well secured warehouse.
Most years they always had room for 1 more.
In in October out in April.
Last year a friend tried to get a space near the end of October and was told they were full.
And it's a HUGE warehouse.

This year a different friend pulled in early November and there was room.

Huge, I say huge numbers of used RV's of all types around me.

Are we seeing the great rebound? People tried RV'ing for one year and found it wasn't to their liking?
Fuel too expensive?
CG sites hard to find and expensive?
Not the happy, easy going lifestyle the ads promised?
Way too much work setting up and down?

I'm hoping it's not just a local thing or a blip. Maybe sites will get easier to find and prices will go down?
Or am I just a dreamer.

**sourdough** · 01-08-2023, 06:10 PM

Well from my perch I'm not seeing a real slowdown. New folks seem to be showing up in all the campgrounds we travel to. That possibly might play into the lack of storage places. Many of the folks I see that seem to have gotten into this during the "trying time" may or may not have the resources to store their RVs in a commercial storage place. I know where I keep mine I pay for 12 mos. and keep it there for 3-4. If not it's full and I would lose my barn immediately to someone who would pay the full year if I chose to skip a few months.

**chuckster57** · 01-08-2023, 06:18 PM

People are still crashing them at an alarming rate. We have no parking LOL.

Gegrad · 01-08-2023, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

People are still crashing them at an alarming rate. We have no parking LOL.

Well, Danny mentioned he still sees TONS of newbies everywhere he goes...

linux3 · 01-08-2023, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Well from my perch I'm not seeing a real slowdown. Many of the folks I see that seem to have gotten into this during the "trying time" may or may not have the resources to store their RVs in a commercial storage place. I know where I keep mine I pay for 12 mos. and keep it there for 3-4. If not it's full and I would lose my barn immediately to someone who would pay the full year if I chose to skip a few months.

As I said, I've been storing at the same place for years.
Every October when I pull in I show my old contract and get charged the same by the foot price.
I pay $300.00 from October to April. My friend who got in this past October paid $450.00 for about the same size rig. Every strange. Existing customers don't get a price increase.
Middle of October I got in line to store my TT.
3 TV's and TTs at a time entered the building and backed in there told. Unhook, pay and leave. That's 3 trucks and TT's in the building. Big building.

Max23 · 01-09-2023, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Well from my perch I'm not seeing a real slowdown. New folks seem to be showing up in all the campgrounds we travel to. That possibly might play into the lack of storage places. Many of the folks I see that seem to have gotten into this during the "trying time" may or may not have the resources to store their RVs in a commercial storage place. I know where I keep mine I pay for 12 mos. and keep it there for 3-4. If not it's full and I would lose my barn immediately to someone who would pay the full year if I chose to skip a few months.

Not sure around here what's full but I do know that outdoor storage runs about 40 a month and they keep putting up more area for them! Indoor storage is limited but you pay up to 200 a month for a nicer indoor with "covered" not indoor runs over 100. It's crazy I think. We can't afford that. So yeah, may be "the means to pay" has diminished some.

Camp CA · 01-09-2023, 08:20 AM

I have not seen a real slowdown AND camping sites are relatively avalibale, espeacially in private campground.

linux3 · 01-09-2023, 03:12 PM

Our style of camping is to head out with a vague idea of where we are going.
If a AAA guide or roadside sign points to something interesting we take a look.
That's how we rode our bikes on the Virginia Creeper, toured Jessi James's farm stead, toured the Nissan factory in TN and much much more.
Went we get tired we say "google, campgrounds near us".

Last couple of years have really put a crimp on our travel style.
I was hoping......

vampress_me · 01-09-2023, 07:13 PM

All I can say is that the indoor facility where we store our camper every winter is full, and has been every year except the first, which was the winter of 2014-2015. The only reason they weren’t full that first year was because it was a brand new facility. Since then, they added a couple other buildings about 3 years ago that were full before construction was finished on them.

From the aspect of used campers out there, DH and I went to a used RV show 2 weekends ago because we were bored. 99% of the campers for sale were 2019 and newer, including quite a few 2022’s. But, the prices sure haven’t come down at all yet. I was shocked at used prices comparable to new, and I was shocked by how many campers were locked with SOLD signs on them on the last day of the show. It really doesn’t seem like any slowdown is happening in MN yet to any noticeable degree anyways…

Mikelff · 01-15-2023, 09:09 AM

If you are going someplace popular, like some of the national parks, you better make your reservations early. These campgrounds are almost full already. I am taking a trip to Utah and Arizona end of May and the rv parks had very few spaces left for my big rig. Of course there will always be some cancellations but that is a roll of the dice. I would rather pay $10 to cancel than not have a site. It seems there are more people that tried the rv life during Covid have stayed. More are coming. I am asked all the time if I would consider selling and I say no. Used rv prices haven’t dropped much around my neck of the woods. Personally, I like to plan my travel and know I don’t have to worry about a place to stay at the end of the day. Like the OP said, I see lots of newbies out there.

Steamboatbarnett · 01-15-2023, 04:16 PM

I hope you are correct and the surge was just a blip on the screen. Weed out the Covid campers.

Markjonesf18 · 01-15-2023, 07:57 PM

Here in the NW, if you don't book a campground by April for the summer season, chances are you will not get a campground. You cannot show up and get a spot anymore. Everyone drives here to get out of the summer extreme heat I guess.

linux3 · 01-16-2023, 01:29 PM

Saturday, my wife and I went to a large camper show.
It was at a local convention center. Bunch of RV's indoors and hundreds outdoors.
If sales were brisk why haul all the RV's to a show?
Prices, my gosh the prices were just out of sight.
OK, OK we bought our TT in 2016 but out the door we paid $16,000.00 and that included the hitch. $42,000 for a TT like ours? Just stupid.

Gegrad · 01-16-2023, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linux3

Saturday, my wife and I went to a large camper show.
It was at a local convention center. Bunch of RV's indoors and hundreds outdoors.
If sales were brisk why haul all the RV's to a show?
Prices, my gosh the prices were just out of sight.
OK, OK we bought our TT in 2016 but out the door we paid $16,000.00 and that included the hitch. $42,000 for a TT like ours? Just stupid.

Yep, I went to one here in Pittsburgh this weekend as well. Prices were insane; The only ones I saw less than $30k were the little 12 footers. Most of them were marked with huge discounts off MSRP; no idea if stickers were just inflated or they were actually giving the big discounts to move units. Seemed like there were a lot of 2022 models there, so they haven't cleared out old inventory just yet.

notanlines · 01-17-2023, 04:20 AM

Linux3, "If sales were brisk why haul all the RV's to a show?" I'm not sure if you're serious with this question or not. From one end of this country to the other we all attend some show or another whether it be a sport and boat show, RV show, car show, etc. The majority of the larger shows are developed by associated industry organizations in the area.
It is an opportunity for your family to ignore the 10 degree weather, eat a hot dog and funnel cake, have a cold beer, and dream about good times to come. Anyone who thinks people are way to smart to fall for this kind of production are in another world.
A number of years ago, while on a fall trip through the Lancaster, New Hampshire area DW and I stopped at the little county fair "just to have lunch and take a break." Those hot dogs, funnel cakes and cold beer sounded good. Remember to 'just look around.' We finished our trip through the northeast in our new black F-350!
THIS is why they are only interested in you 'looking around' and will try to lure you in with Italian sausages with green peppers and onions. Can you imagine the nerve!!

wiredgeorge · 01-17-2023, 07:10 AM

RV shows are sales events. Some potential customers seem to like the atmosphere of a "show" rather than trundle down to a single RV lot to see inventory. The RVs at a "show" are set up and many times staged. We went to the San Antonio RV show (sales event) last year and I was struck by how it looked just like every other year. If I were buying (I am NOT), I would leave the show with some favorite in mind and also keep in mind that the dealer showing that trailer will "extend show prices" for weeks afterwards and go to their dealership to negotiate because a trade would also be part of the deal.

**flybouy** · 01-17-2023, 07:40 AM

"If sales were brisk why haul all the RV's to a show?"

For the same reason the auto industry run commercials every 5 min when they sell 100,000 units or don't sell any because of a chip shortage, they want you to buy from them and not their competitors.

Max23 · 01-17-2023, 07:40 AM

We love to go to the home shows, the rv and boat shows etc. However, prices in our area to now do these things have gotten so high, our "love" to go and look around has greatly diminished. LOL. Sooo, that said we have been "passing them up". I don't mind spending 10 bucks or so to go "look". However, I am cheap and when it got up to $18 per person, I just said eh, not for me anymore I guess. The last idea we got for what we wanted in a new TT was at the state fair. It's actually cheaper to get into the fair with many other things to do and looking at the campers was free once in there!! Granted, not nearly as many to look at.

**sourdough** · 01-17-2023, 09:12 AM

I used to go to the RV shows but don't much anymore - I'm happy with what I've got. I do however roam the lots at RV dealerships so I can look and not be bothered (usually). I will say that a few years back I went to a "show" at a dealership (lots of regional dealers were represented there too). Inside a huge building they had a lot of trailers. One back area was dark but I could see dim lights in there so wandered in. Inside that dark enclosed area were about 6 nice units. The units had the lights on, awning lights on, camp chairs outside, fake fireplaces burning and....crickets singing in the background! We were immediately transported to a forest campground hanging out with friends. I was not in the market at the time but boy the sure set the mood to "buy".

linux3 · 01-17-2023, 11:08 AM

We are happy with what we have and are not interested in buying but.
We like to look and compare why our TT is better.
I did see a $650,000 class A that I liked, however I paid $32,000 for my house in 1980 and that kinda sets the bar.

BTW Jim, had it built in Henrietta and married my wife on the construction site in the same year.

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