How will an economic collapse affect the RV/TT lifestyle?

[StingrayL82]

I haven't read through all of the threads, because my attention span starts to wane at around this time of day, but from what I've read it sounds like some of you prescribe to the Dave Ramsey school of thought. I had never heard of Dave, until I moved to TX. I don't really listen to anything but AM radio, simply because I like hearing people speak, not scream to music.

If you've never heard of Dave Ramsey, check out his website. He makes good fiscal sense. According to him, since 1970 there have been 10 economic downturns in the market, and 100% of the time they have bounced back.

Brooke and I have begun to follow his principles and are slowly but surely getting ourselves back on track.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Our local Camping World announced last Wednesday they would be closing.

We left on a leaf peep'n trip to the Adirondacks last Friday, this evening we stopped to dump and the doors were locked and all the inventory was gone. They had built/opened this store less than three years ago.

Sure they don't sell A/S, but they still had a large inventory of nice stuff.........Damn now we gotta go to Rochester.

We still don't have an Airstream dealer in NYS...

[Lothlorian]

Camping time in Snellville Ga has moved all of its RV's off the lot (They are gone). They were associated with camping world. The store for parts and accessories is still open. Another RV dealer told me he heard that the camping time was closing down their operations RV sales and operations. I hope that is not true.

Lothlorian

[purman]

Just got back from Zion and Bryce canyon parks,,, Great time... Saw two Bambi's in Zion and a newer 25 footer.... The campground was packed all weekend,,, Even when we left tues. it was nearly full.... Plenty of us out there camping... Saw lots on the roads too.... Towed are friends 28' safari... Bigger and heavier than our '68 28 footer..... only got 9 mpg but was going 70 - 75 mph... and one hell of a head wind.... Got same mpg going down hill into the wind as going up hill with it at my back sometimes..... Wish I had a bigger gas tank on the Sequoia!!!!!!

[dogpound]

I guess rumors will run wild as long as our economy is in such a sorry state. Last month when I was in Camping World RV Sales I was told that Monaco and Holiday Rambler would no longer be producing Class A motorhomes. Who knows. I spent 5 days at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and you wouldn't think there was anything wrong with the economy with the number of Prevost motorhomes that were there along with several other varieties of Class A's. I was told once that " This in time my son, shall pass". We just have to put up with the best we can.
Bob
Member Four Corners Unit
WBCCI # 10105
Air # 28748

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by COArgosy78

I'm not a political animal & not affiliated w/a particular party - but there is much to be concerned about these days

Yeah, sure... I'm left comparing the past 8 years with the previous 8 and looking at my wallet. Being a concerned citizen myself, mind you.

Originally Posted by COArgosy78

I thought I would post this here for anyone else who is like minded.

How convenient and thoughtful of you. Why don't we all post our perspective links?

Probably best to stick with the topic and heed the rules.


.

[ROBERT CROSS]

U-tube

The lazy persons reality....

[rangebowdrie]

Contrary to much popular believe, the present situation did not start with Bush, or Clinton, or Bush Sr.,or Reagen, or Carter, or several others before them. It started in 1916, when Wilson, knowing that the US would find itself in WW1, with no money to pay for the war effort, set-up the federal reserve, and the income tax system, via the 16th admendment.
In this system, the money necessary for the payment of the intrest is not "created", therefore, the national debt can never be payed off.
The govt. has the ability to issue "US notes", that are not insturments of debt. The last Pres. to do this was JFK, he ordered the treasury to print "debt free money", within the first week of LBJ becoming Pres., he ordered the halt of the printing of US notes.
PS. A carefull perusal of the voting records of the states, will reveal that the 16th admendment was never properally ratified, it was just declared to be in effect by tres. secretary Knox
PPS. Several Supreme Court, and lesser Court decisions, have held that "income", for the purposes of taxation is "profit", and that wages are not taxable, because they are not profit, that you cannot tax a person, simply for living.

[Gene]

A few historical points:

Every major industrial nation has a central bank. If they didn't, there would be an extremely unstable money supply and frequent panics. Before the Federal Reserve we had a primitive banking system and many, many panics, depressions, recessions. Before the Civil War, banks printed money ("bank notes") and no one could be sure what paper money was worth and the further from the bank, the more the money was discounted. Actually the US central bank is not as strong a central bank as in other nations.

The 16th Amendment was adopted properly and there are plenty of court cases affirming the legality of the income tax.

The Panic of 1907 was severe and the intervention of J.P. Morgan helped control it a bit. By the mid teens Morgan was no longer able to intervene in case of a panic, and there was no reason to believe any Wall St. banker would have the capital and clout of a Morgan and be able to moderate a panic. That's one reason the Federal Reserve was created.

There are many court decisions affirming that wages are income. Quite a few people who have refused to pay taxes on their wages have lost their court cases and some are doing, or have done, time in the big house.

I know this disturbs some people, but paper money is printed in every nation. It is really based on faith that the government is strong and the financial system is regulated sufficiently to prevent panics and extreme deflation or inflation. There's a lot of gold in Fort Knox, but probably not enough to back all the currency. If you go to the US treasury and ask for hard currency (gold or silver), they won't give you any. There are other ways money is created—in one way, when you write a check, you are creating money that can be passed along until someone takes it to your bank. One of the measures of the national money supply includes checks and other promises to pay.

Paper money is based on trust and a national consensus that it is worth something. You can walk around with gold dust and try to get merchants to accept it, but in the real world no one will, and paper money is worth more than gold dust when you try to buy a loaf of bread.

The value of gold is also based on a human perception. The demand for jewelry and electrical circuits made of gold (an extremely efficient conductor) does not justify the price of gold. What makes gold expensive is a combination of distrust in paper money and other securities and rarity. The more expensive it gets, the more gets mined and if there's a big find, the price may drop. If there's a period of great distrust (like now) the gold price rises, not based on the intrinsic value of the commodity, but based on distrust. Is this so different from paper money?

Gene

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

A few historical points:....
Gene

Yeah, yeah, and next your going to claim we really walked on the moon and Elvis is dead..... Ya aint foolin me.

[IndyAnne]

I paid $3.59 for diesel here in Indy on Tuesday! That's a lot of Olympic Rivets for the Trade Wind rehab!
Anne

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

Yeah, yeah, and next your going to claim we really walked on the moon and Elvis is dead..... Ya aint foolin me.

I'm not so sure about anyone on the moon—I think they filmed that stuff at Craters of the Moon National Monument so they could "claim" it was on the "moon". I looked for Elvis in the lava tubs at that NM and saw a trail of rhinestones, but lost the trail.

Gene

[IndyAnne]

Just drove by the same station: $3.45

Originally Posted by IndyAnne

I paid $3.59 for diesel here in Indy on Tuesday! That's a lot of Olympic Rivets for the Trade Wind rehab!
Anne

[genearnold]

We haven't used our Limited since the end of May. The main reason is not the economy but our extensive house remodel/redecorating to get the house in shape to sell so we can move back to Nebraska to be nearer our kids.

For several years we've taken a late fall short trip for our wedding anniversary. Our favorite place for this is Hell's Canyon (how's that for a place to reflect back over the years?) We plan to spend much of next week in Hell's Canyon in honor of our fifty-three years together. Idaho Power Company maintains three very nice campgrounds in the area (about 150 miles from Boise). This time of the year the campgrounds are nearly empty. The weather is usually very nice this time of year so it is a good place to go. I figure the fuel and camping fees will cost us about $150.00.

Gene

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by genearnold

For several years we've taken a late fall short trip for our wedding anniversary.

I think that's a great idea. This year we haven't hardly got the trailer out at all, three short trips total! But next month my hubby wants us to sneak off for a few days for our anniversary, just us, the dogs, and the trailer. I hope we make this an annual thing

[StingrayL82]

Well last year we full-timed in the Sovereign from May to December. When we moved into our house, we parked Alice in the RV garage and haven't touched her since. In fact, I just pulled her out last weekend, aired up the tires and took her to get a bath, which she desperately needed. I'm happy that the Walbernize held up well, because the dirt came right off with very little effort.

Until we are able to close on our house, I'm afraid that Alice is going to have to hibernate. Maybe next year we'll take a weekend trip over to Fredericksburg, TX and stay at the KOA, or maybe even go to Big Bend NP.

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by StingrayL82

Well last year we full-timed in the Sovereign from May to December. When we moved into our house, we parked Alice in the RV garage and haven't touched her since. In fact, I just pulled her out last weekend, aired up the tires and took her to get a bath, which she desperately needed. I'm happy that the Walbernize held up well, because the dirt came right off with very little effort.

Until we are able to close on our house, I'm afraid that Alice is going to have to hibernate. Maybe next year we'll take a weekend trip over to Fredericksburg, TX and stay at the KOA, or maybe even go to Big Bend NP.

Or maybe Amarillo - Palo Duro...? Or for a real thriller, Moss Creek Lake (BigSpring)?

Good luck with your house, Stingray - Big Bend-Ft. Davis are really nice places to camp.

Are y'all staying in San Angelo or movin' on?

[Jim Foster]

Well, Airstreamers, today oil closed at just half of what it was the first of July 08, and lower than it was a year ago today.

There already has been talk of gas under $3. We bought gas in Tracy, CA last Sunday for $3.299

We'll see........

[maxandgeorgia]

Anniversaries and Airstreams make a wonderful fit! (RE: Gene's and Stephanie's earlier posts) For several years we've been making a late fall trip (late October or early November) for our anniversary and we're doing it again this up-coming weekend. Off we'll go to Bennett Springs State Park for four days of crispy air, shy trout, and campfires to mark our 45th. Added to the fun, our daughter and her friends will be camping there also..more company around the fire. And, when we think of what some other anniversary events have cost, this is more fun and much much less costly! ~G

[wheel interested]

Happy Anniversary Georgia and Max! Wishing you two many many more.