Posted on 12/26/2021 8:24:52 AM PST by blam
It was one thing when Americans panicked hoarded food and toilet paper during the early days of the virus pandemic. Then guns and ammo after social unrest broke out, but 20 months later, recreational vehicles continue to be hoarded at levels never seen before.
A new RV Industry Association (RVIA) report released Tuesday shows shipments for towable RVs jumped 14% in November to 43,881 from 38,485 the same month last year. All motorhome shipments soared 30.4% to 5,254 vehicles for the month, and total RV shipments increased 15.6%.
Like all of 2021, November’s sales are a record for that month…
For the first eleven months of the year, towable RV shipments totaled a mindboggling 506,952 versus 353,109 a year earlier. Motorhome shipments increased to 52,791 from 36,921, and total RV shipments erupted 44% to 559,743 vehicles.
The pandemic has transformed the way Americans vacation. Instead of fancy resorts and hotels in big metropolises, people opt for self-contained motorhomes parked in rural areas or nature parks.
“Demand for RVs remains incredibly strong, driving RV manufacturers and suppliers to continue to build a record number of RVs month after month for the past 13 months,” said RV Industry Association Chief Executive Craig Kirby.
“Interest in RVing remains high even in what has traditionally been the ‘offseason,'” Kirby said.
In a separate report, RVIA forecasted RV wholesale shipments would exceed 600,000 units in both 2021 and 2022.
“RV manufacturers and suppliers have accomplished something never before seen with the incredible number of RV produced in 2021 and forecasted to be built in 2022,” Kirby said in early December.
Americans are rediscovering the great outdoors, and the RV boom may continue well into 2022 and beyond as millennial ownership steadily increases.
“Watch the police and the tax man miss me....”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToxymSLzJeM
When the time comes for me to retire in ten years, there is going to be 1,000’s of sweet low milage diesel pushers for me to chose from.
Keep buying them everyone.
I am sure there are videos. If you happen to be in the bay area drive the El Camino Real. Miles and miles of RVs parked along the road. Especially around Stanford. Where I live there are hundreds in the vacant properties and BLM land.
I got mine right before this covid panic started. The same model Sprinter styles are up 50% for the same year. Good luck finding RV parks. But I boondock anyway. Even boondocking is getting hard to do with so many people on the road. It will self correct soon enough.
So there’s a new demography emerging.
History has shown that the more centralized government becomes, the more it despises nomads, and tries to settle them into known locations. There are too many loose ends, and big government can’t tolerate that.
So I wonder where that’s all going.
The best bug out vehicle(s)
And I know it doesn’t work for a lot of people..on/off road motorcycle.
And a hammock.😳
You are correct. If bugging out becomes really necessary, the roads will all be jammed with cars, and the only vehicles which will be able to get anywhere are motorcycles that can go between lanes and off the roads.
Even the multi-million top end motor coaches are selling like hot cakes.
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In these times those babies are a sign that says I am rich. Kidnap me.
I bought a new trailer in December 2019. I'm getting ready to sell it for more than I paid for it. Way more than I paid for it.
Brings me back to a baseline for “housing costs too much” arguments:
One can get about an acre for ~$10,000 and a new popup camper for another $10k.
Yeah ain’t much, but it’s complete housing for 4 owned outright for just $20,000 - cheaper if you go used and less land.
In south Florida there are a LOT of RVs on the lots......LOTS!
Here in Central Texas, countless permanent RV parks have sprung up, so the lack of affordable housing is driving much of these sales.
The ignorance about this trend is troubling...
Airstream hold their value better than any other brand. Not cheap, but 10 years down the road, you will be able to sell it for the price you paid.
With most others, you’d be lucky to get 30-35%. An exception might be for very high-end coaches. You might get 50% back when you sell.
Many people like the idea of RVing, then the reality smacks them in the face. Once you buy, the other costs of ownership is not cheap.
I’ll live in my 1600 SF paid off modest townhouse and just drive or fly for vacations. For $5-7,000/year, I can go anywhere and stay pretty much where I want for a week 5-7 times. My younger son is an airline pilot and I don’t mind going standby, and airfares are really cheap if you plan ahead and use airline miles.
So I made it 2 minutes into the video and the guy still hasn’t gotten around to the point. No thanks.
A number of RV’s in our town are parked in driveways with power cords running to the house. Sadly the price of housing forces this option for many folks.
Well an RV basically has all the systems your house does, often with lower quality parts, and then gets a vibration test every time it goes down the road.
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