By Len Souza, The RVer advocate (04/2009)
The RV Life Style had its beginnings in the early 1920s. Back in those days, individuals started building a cabin enclosure on truck frames, complete with a bed, “ice box”, lavatory, a kitchen stove and a “potty”. These “house trucks” became an alternative to camping in tents, while visiting all of those scenic places across our great country. Camping trailers also came into existence even before this time. Of course in earlier times, Gypsies traveled all over Europe in house wagons and in the late 1800s American cowboys and sheep herders enjoyed the support of “chow” or “camp wagons” as they drove their herds across the plains or tended to large sheep herds that grazed the land.
Now I would like to “fast forward” to today’s modern motor homes. They can be described as luxurious, comfortable, spacious, and attractive to the eye, heavy, large and expensive. Today the available models cover a wide range of needs, life styles, and budgets. There are the small Class B units, the larger Class C units and the top of the line Class A motor coaches. In this latter category, the Class A, there has always been a “price/performance” division between gas-powered vehicles and those that are diesel powered, pushers. (I don’t address here the, 45 ft long “bus conversion”, vehicles with 500 plus hp engines, that have price tags of 1 to 2 million dollars. (These are in a class all by themselves as are their buyers.) These “top of the line” vehicles are not considered to be campers, or RVs; they are reverently referred to, simply as “Coaches”.
This range of choices has been “clouded”, in recent years by low cost diesel pushers and front-engine diesel powered units. Meanwhile, high-end gas powered units have grown in sophistication with full body paint jobs, 3 or 4 room slide-out extensions, and audio visual entertainment systems that rival those of the diesel powered units. It is no wonder that newcomers to the RV Life Style find themselves in a real quandary as to which type of motor home to buy. There are issues of length, number of room slide-outs, chassis and power plant (gas vs. diesel.) First time buyers, never seem to get it right and as a result they will typically “trade up” 2, 3 or 4 times before they finally get the motor home that is just right for them. (The RV industry thrives on this situation.)
The past 10 years from 1996 to 2006 were boom years for the RV Industry; sales increased every year during this period. Along the way, “creeping elegance” reared its head, big time. Gas powered motor homes that sold for $70,000 in 1996—were selling for over $140,000 in 2006. The same phenomenon happened with diesel pusher motor homes; units that retailed for $175,000 in 1996 were selling for over $350,000 in 2006. Why did this happen? This escalation in pricing was brought about by several factors: 1. More slides-outs were added, 2. The length of the coaches increased—along with the addition of tag axles on the diesel units, 3. Sophisticated entertainment electronics were added to these vehicles, 4. “Full body paint” (in lieu of decal graphics) became the benchmark for a proud owner. And, 5. With the increases in the length of gas coaches to 37 ft and 42-45 ft for diesel units, bigger, more powerful engines became the norm. Also along the way the cost of the materials needed to build a motor home, increased significantly during this period. Warranty costs also increased dramatically, because of the growing number of repairs on these feature-loaded, RVs.
Why did this growth of Size, Price and Sophistication take place? If you ask the RV manufacturers and the dealers this question, they will tell you that the buyers (You & I) asked for all of this “sizzle”, increased size and elegance. They maintain that the industry is simply giving the customers what they have asked for. If you ask buyers the same question, they won’t usually have a definitive answer but they will be “dazzled” by these products at RV shows, RV rallies and at the RV Dealerships. And if they have the financial means, they will undoubtedly set their sites on their next RV, the perfect one that they have been in quest of for years.
I believe that the overwhelming influence on this “creeping elegance” has not been driven by RV buyers. I believe that it came about as a result of a highly competitive market place, where the manufacturers are always trying to out do their competitors with “Oneupsmanship, via their aggressive marketing, driven product plans. This, and the constantly changing of models, has led to—too many motor homes being manufactured and shipped without fully tested and proven mechanical and electrical designs. This fact is all too well known by the RV consumers who are sometimes forced to spend countless days, and even weeks in service facilities across the country. Sometimes this entails returning the unit to the originating factory. (In this day and age, with all of the business failures in RV companies, this can be a disaster as many have closed their doors.)
As consumers of these “discretionary” purchased vehicles, we are not blameless. I feel that our tolerance and acceptance of poor quality and poor service---has encouraged the practices that we have been subjected to. Still, we enjoy the RV Life Style and its pursuit. And meanwhile none of the RV Associations, Clubs or RV media publishers has rallied around these Consumer Issues, on behalf of RV owners. Why you ask? Because it is “taboo”. You figure it out; (hint) it has to do with the financial well being of these organizations. What do you think, what are your opinions?
[Ed Note: Len welcomes any comments you may have. You can email him at mbpete@verizon.net.]