RV Industry Death Spiral?

[SteveSueMac]

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0486946/

"Wild Hogs" treated the bike scenario well...

😀

[PKI]

Originally Posted by Naper

With all the terrorist problems in the world today, global travel is becoming less attractive. Not to mention the hassle of airport security. IMHO RVing has a bright future, however as others have said there is a need for the parks / campgrounds to keep pace. At one time there was a number of Airstream only parks, i.e. Pennwood, Top of Georgia, Paradise Park, Most of these parks are still in operation but sadly could use a little TLC.

We looked at the one in Washington. After a view of the park on Google Map, we gave it a pass. Not expensive, but it looks like the poster child for Walmart camping without the SOBs and shopping convenience. Can't believe AS folks think that is a good idea. At least the Terra Port has a star config to separate and spice up the view. Pat

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by Jammer

I read through the article and some of the series.

The quality problems have been discussed here at length.

One thing not as widely discussed is the growing problem of campsite availability.

.
Gerber talks about that in #5 of the series. http://rvdailyreport.com/opinion/rv-...sing-capacity/

Interesting you mention the regulations against boondocking in parking lots and rest areas. In communities that enforce such regulations, I'll be you'll find local RV parks behind those regs - every RV parked in Walmart overnight is a source of revenue lost for the RV park. I can understand that given that in the northern and mountain areas, camping seasons are half of what they are in southern areas yet operating costs remain the same and in some cases are more because of the effect of harsh winters.
.

[HoffmanP]

Invest in RV and hearing-aid stocks.

[alantbird]

I feel much the same about RVs in general. Pretty soon, hefting that WD hitch into position won't be as much fun as it is now. This wave can't last forever.[/QUOTE]

I did trailers from age 30 to 50 and now at 56 I think twice about not being that young tough buck I once was. I got a diesel pusher with elect awning, got a toad To tow behind cause the tow dolly was a hassle, paid man a few weeks ago to replace my trashed slide cover. I used to enjoy doing all my own work but nowadays I consider my time in $ and have bigger fish to fry.
When I get up on the roof to do things I keep Reminding myself of my buddy who fell off the ladder and broke both his ankles !

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by caseywsj

Funny, I talked to Greg in at an RV park in Tucson back in February about this exact thing. We were on our first long trip with the Airstream and I had asked him what the top 3 issues that he saw in the RV industry. We've been mostly lucky. Two motorhomes and now our first Airstream. Mostly solid and good quality. Of course everything could be better. But the service situation is certainly in need of improvement. If we had service done on the motorhome, it would seriously be measured in weeks. We'll see with the Airstream as there is a short list of things to address. RV parks are in transition. We've stayed is some great ones, but also our share of mediocre. I will say this, there seems to be no shortage of people wanting to partake in the lifestyle. We're currently up in Breckenridge, CO at Tiger Run RV Resort. Not cheap, but not an empty spot in the park either.

We stay at Tiger Run every time we are out West which is annually and love the place. And yes, pricey it is but you get what yo pay for.

[MitchR55]

To paraphrase another Yogi quote "No one goes to the National parks anymore, they are too crowded. "

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by kimmie512

Very interesting! Gerber certainly hits upon issues talked about throughout the AirForums.

What I find disturbing is that while Airstream charges outrages prices they are no better than the industry when it comes to supporting their product and also have serious quality problems.

I just came back from JC after needing some repairs. To begin with I had to wait 4 weeks to be able to get service. One item needing repair was a leaky fresh water tank on our 2013 30' International. It most likely been leaking for some time but recently got to the point where it would only hold 3/8 of a tank full. Upon pulling the tank it was discovered that the outlet pipe was wedged against something and slowly began to break sideways from the tank. Being out of warranty they wanted me to pay the full $ 1,400.00 for a new tank and labor. I blew a gasket. Obviously a shoddy installation and they wanted me to pick up the full fare. Eventually they offered the tank without charge and had to still pay $ 750.00 for labor.

This on top of having to replace my hot water tank back last year due to a faulty weld attaching a fitting to the tank. Attwood (now Dometic) refused to replace the tank because it was out of warranty. Inspite of a serious of pictures clearly showing the problem. I was so incensed that I jumped in the truck and drove 2 hours to Elkhart. They took one look at the tank and without saying a word went and got me a new one and apologized. Altogether this fiasco cost me 2 full days. Airstream could care less when I called them. I was told its not their problem its Atwoods. I paid these jokers 80 grand for this trailer and they couldn't be bothered. In all I had to drag this trailer to JC for warranty work 3 different times from the Chicago area. Every single summer since we owned it.

The only twisted consolation at this point is that the entire Industry is rotten and we wouldn't have been any better of in this regard with SOB other than saving a boat load of money. When buying the Airstream I justified paying premium dollars believing that it wont have the same problems and the service would be first class. Non of that materialized.

[Fly at Night]

RV sales appear to be booming here. Why? The cost of recreational property is through the roof.

Most families/retirees can't afford 800k+ for a little weekend retreat by the lake. So, the next best thing is parking a RV by the lake.

The downside of that is the fact it's difficult to find a campsite or RV park during the peak season.

If any Warren Buffet types are interested in developing some nice RV parks here in B.C. - you will have no trouble filling them! Our last winter was also mild; the RV parks outside Vancouver were packed with full-timers.

[franklyfrank]

To add to the above, the first year of owning it I had a GYM tire thread separation on I-4 while in the middle lane. Besides the one that blew 2 others were ready to fail as well. I had to replace all four of course. Replaced the tires with Michelins LT tires.
In addition to the cost of new tires on a one year old Airstream I also ended up with over $ 9,000.00 worth of damage to the side of the trailer and the hassle of getting all this repaired and straightened out.
Non of this would have occurred had Airstream installed the 16" Michelins like they do on the Classic and Eddie Bauer. Trailers this expensive should all come with Michelins on them.

[kdickinson]

The days of driving all day and planning to just pull up to an RV park and expect to be able to park are long gone. Our old trailer has no grey water tank so we have to ensure that we have full hookups which means that I plan the year starting in February and March and start making reservations. It does still seem to be seasonal however and the parks around us tend to be pretty wide open before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. That could change but, in the end, I don't think it will. Sure the baby boomers are a factor but let's be honest - the stock market was supposed to crash when we all took our retirement funds out of the market - didn't happen, what about the predictions on the job market, and my belief is that just because you are a boomer and just because you own an RV doesn't mean that you will be full timing. The real money, I think, is in the storage business with all that nice annuity type cash flow month in month out ...

[AWCHIEF]

The only time I make reservations is for rallies that require it. I have always been able to find a spot. That includes private, state and federal parks. This past winter I did have to spend one night parked in the parking lot to wait for a spot to open up the next morning. This was at a state park in the Keys. I was first in line and had a excellent spot by 10AM.

[NWRVR]

Originally Posted by LY007

Thanks for the interesting read.

I've noticed that in a parallel recreational industry - pleasure boats under $100k - quality has greatly improved over the last 15 years. But prices have doubled, at the least.

We have a North River Commander 21 aluminum boat with a tandom axle aluminum trailer that I wish AS would emulate as the quality is excellent.

Good fishing areas are getting as crowded as good campgrounds. If you want some entertainment, set up a lawn chair with a beer and bowl of popcorn near a crowded multi lane ramp and watch people without any backing skills try to get down the ramp without jack knifing; forgetting to put the TV in park and dunking it; forgetting to take the tie downs off and trying to power off the trailer; forgetting to put the drain plug in and sinking at the dock or racing back to the ramp before the boat sinks.......

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

What I find disturbing is that while Airstream charges outrages prices they are no better than the industry when it comes to supporting their product and also have serious quality problems.

.
When Airstream owned Airstream, they had lifetime warranties.... Thor is better than Beatrice Foods was but that's really not saying much. Their quality control is... well, what everyone has experienced. They're known for poor workmanship throughout their other product lines.

Wish they had more pride in their Airstream line...

[Thiss]

Originally Posted by aftermath

Take a look at the Harley Davidson market. As us babyboomers started to age many ran out and bought a Harley. Purchased their costumes, tied on a do-rag and headed to Sturgis. Now that we are getting older, riding a big heavy motorcycle is a little tougher than it once was. The market is now flooded with bikes for sale and the prices are quite depressed. It is just a consequence of an aging market.

I feel much the same about RVs in general. Pretty soon, hefting that WD hitch into position won't be as much fun as it is now. This wave can't last forever.

This young millennial family will be ready to move from vintage project to late model about then

[rmkrum]

The interesting bit in our family is that youngest son bought the AS. He's the second owner. I'm a boomer, and he transferred it to me.

We figure around our house, 'normal' is a setting on the dryer...


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by Jaxon

.
When Airstream owned Airstream, they had lifetime warranties.... Thor is better than Beatrice Foods was but that's really not saying much. Their quality control is... well, what everyone has experienced. They're known for poor workmanship throughout their other product lines.

Wish they had more pride in their Airstream line...

They are fortunate that we who buy these Trailers, have the pride of ownership that promotes these Airstreams. However that will not last forever either.

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

They are fortunate that we who buy these Trailers, have the pride of ownership that promotes these Airstreams. However that will not last forever either.

.
Especially in the era of social media... Word gets around real fast as does the contact info of corporate "officers".
.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

What I find disturbing is that while Airstream charges outrages prices they are no better than the industry when it comes to supporting their product and also have serious quality problems.

I just came back from JC after needing some repairs. To begin with I had to wait 4 weeks to be able to get service. One item needing repair was a leaky fresh water tank on our 2013 30' International. It most likely been leaking for some time but recently got to the point where it would only hold 3/8 of a tank full. Upon pulling the tank it was discovered that the outlet pipe was wedged against something and slowly began to break sideways from the tank. Being out of warranty they wanted me to pay the full $ 1,400.00 for a new tank and labor. I blew a gasket. Obviously a shoddy installation and they wanted me to pick up the full fare. Eventually they offered the tank without charge and had to still pay $ 750.00 for labor.

This on top of having to replace my hot water tank back last year due to a faulty weld attaching a fitting to the tank. Attwood (now Dometic) refused to replace the tank because it was out of warranty. Inspite of a serious of pictures clearly showing the problem. I was so incensed that I jumped in the truck and drove 2 hours to Elkhart. They took one look at the tank and without saying a word went and got me a new one and apologized. Altogether this fiasco cost me 2 full days. Airstream could care less when I called them. I was told its not their problem its Atwoods. I paid these jokers 80 grand for this trailer and they couldn't be bothered. In all I had to drag this trailer to JC for warranty work 3 different times from the Chicago area. Every single summer since we owned it.

The only twisted consolation at this point is that the entire Industry is rotten and we wouldn't have been any better of in this regard with SOB other than saving a boat load of money. When buying the Airstream I justified paying premium dollars believing that it wont have the same problems and the service would be first class. Non of that materialized.

Just a note of clarification: Atwood (spelled with a single 'T') is an independent company and IS NOT PART OF DOMETIC.


Lew Farber

[SeaLevel]

Originally Posted by lewster

Just a note of clarification: Atwood (spelled with a single 'T') is an independent company and IS NOT PART OF DOMETIC.


Lew Farber

http://www.dometic.com/USA/News/Dome...-Products-LLC/

They aren't completely separate.