RVers Bulletin Board

Mixed Signals... Reports from some sources (e.g. RVDA) suggest that there are new signs of life in RV sales; yet others are predicting further fallout in the industry. It's reasonable to assume there is a a potential for increased demand developing. However the inventory of both new and used models still seems quite high. And where will the "new demand" be? There's some evidence to suggest it will favor smaller, lighter and fuel efficient models. But the signals on all these issues remains mixed at the moment.

Late Vintage Alpine Coach Owners: Along with a number of late model Alpine coach owners we discovered what appears to be a significant design flaw in the steering bracket. The bracket shows unusual (and likely unacceptable) sway when the steering wheel is turned, and could result in a failure. Although the manufacturer (WRV) is no longer in business, we've submitted the matter for consideration by the NHTSA, and the matter is now under consideration. Ours is now fixed. However, in the interest of a timely heads up, we'd suggest the owner of any late model Alpine coach have a close look at this situation.

Is Now the Time to Buy? A new RV that is. With tempting deals out there at the moment, are there some special buying opportunities that we might not see again for a long time? And if so, what size rig might be best for the future? Our RVer Advocate Len Souza offers up his analysis...

Signs of the Times: Recently seen at a dog park here in Florence, OR -- a shiny new red Jaguar parked just outside, with a bumper sticker that invites: "Honk if you're paying my mortgage".

Feeling the Pulse: We tend to track industry news online, and of course we have a variety of contacts w/in the industry with whom we regularly communicate. While there's not yet a clear signal on whether we've hit the bottom in terms of the RV industry, there are at least a few signs of life out there that suggest the uptick may now be on the horizon. It seems to be strongest in relation to smaller, compact, lightweight RVs, perhaps skewed to the towable models.

Today's Motorhome: Complex, Expensive, and BIG: Our Consumer Advocate. Len Souza, traces the unwavering trend in the past several years towards ever bigger, more sophisticated, and expensive motorhomes. With manufacturers facing unprecedented challenges, it may be timely to take a breath and look back at what has transpired over the past decade -- because there may be teaching points here that impact the RVing landscape going forward.

Global Warming -- Still Controversial. With so much of the government's policy being predicated in part on the assumption that global warming is an established fact, it's of course important to ensure the scientists are "getting it right". The subject is inevitably related to RVing. We do not intend to involve ourselves at this site with politics, and we note that most of the discussions pro and con concerning global warming tend to be more political rhetoric than objective scientific discussion. However, we recently were furnished a copy of a written statement submitted to a US Senate Committee considering the issue. We have seen much in the media about the "case for" global warming; but we'd not previously seen the opposing scientific theories that would contend global warming is not the potential crisis that many have asserted is fact. In the interest of furthering a rational discussion of the subject, we've included a downloadable copy of that Statement for those of our readers that might find it of interest.

RV Industry Outlook for 2009: Len Souza, who serves also as a consumer advocate for our readers at this website, assesses the recent major impacts on the industry, and offers his views on the outcome for RV makers and the RVing public.

Industry Status: Following recent filings by Fleetwood, Monaco and Country Coach, it appears Country Coach has been able to secure financing to resume partial operations. However, its operations are under the continuing supervision of the Court. And Monaco may have found a buyer. So while there's a glimmer of good news here, things appear to still be quite tentative. We hope these companies are all able to find options that will let them resume operations.

Emerald Desert Update: For those who count Emerald Desert among their favored destinations, the news is good. Despite losing a huge section of this once mammoth property to a housing development, the park continues to be nicely maintained with top flight management.