I look at Ebay several times a week and have noticed that the total number of listings is up to 2700+ per day. Not long ago it was at 1900-2000. Also on the way back from The Smokies last weekend we saw every RV Dealership and Campers World with a full lot. All who wander are not lost.

Yea, we're starting to see signs of the slow down in our area too John.....

The local large RV lot, once full of new DP's and high-end gassers,is now stocked with teardrops, pop-ups and small towables with a few Class B vans and small Class C's....I guess they're betting on the market down-sizing rather than shrinking........

Last week I made about a dozen campground reservations throughout the mid-Atlantic to set-up for this summer's travel plans...Without exception, they all said they were experiencing a downturn in reservations vs. last year....

Those who own older RV's, with flatter depreciation curves, lack of a coupon book and
D-I-Y maintenance should be able to enjoy the less-crowded environment. Depending on travel habits, new-age fuel prices may be little more than a minor irritant...

In my case, $4.25 gas will probably add several hundred dollars to this year's travel expenses.....Certainly not worth losing sleep over.....

Summer's almost here - Enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by Lee:
Those who own older RV's, with flatter depreciation curves, lack of a coupon book and
D-I-Y maintenance should be able to enjoy the less-crowded environment.

I'll also bet that the campgrounds that had the 10yr rule wont be enforcing it this year.

It's amazing what a downturn in the economy will do to "The Rules"

Good point Bill....I'd forgotten about that. Our roaming lifestyle usually involves state parks and Mom & Pop campgrounds, so we seldom expose ourselves to the situation of being turned away at those upscale RV Resort-type facilities....

Out of curiosity, I wonder if any of the group has experienced that in their Barth?.....

Wasn't it Groucho Marx who said, "I wouldn't join any club that would accept me as a member?"

quote:

Originally posted by Lee:
Our roaming lifestyle usually involves state parks and Mom & Pop campgrounds, so we seldom expose ourselves to the situation of being turned away at those upscale RV Resort-type facilities....

Out of curiosity, I wonder if any of the group has experienced that in their Barth?.....

Like Jack Benny always being 39, Our Barth is always 9 years old.

I guess Lee sleeps better than me. At currently projected prices my trip to Augusta will run me close to 800 bucks in July, and Dega in October will be near a grand. That's 1800 for 2 trips without ever leavin' the south! A trip to Michigan would be over 1600 bucks! Just for GAS!!
The ones who can afford it are driving Prevosts, so they aren't buying 28' gassers, and the ones who can afford a 28' gasser couldn't use it if you gave it to them.
I'm making the 2 trips, come hell or high water, but don't think there won't be some late night anxiety wondering how I'll pay for it all.

quote:

I guess Lee sleeps better than me.

I think it's all in the perspective Danny...In the early years, with three little ones, a new mortgage and an on-the-edge business start-up, spending money on RV weekends made little sense, but we did it anyway. In looking back two decades later, I don't have a clue what the gas cost us back then, but I've got a library of pics and a ton of memories that no amount of money could buy today.......

Obviously, today's manufactured energy "crisis" has forced some alterations to our plans, but it hasn't taken us out of the game. This year's big trip Out West has been put on hold. In it's place, we've drawn a hundred mile circle around home and planned eleven trips. When one starts looking, it's amazing how many unique & out-of-the-way places exist so close to home. In our case, that's gives us the ocean, the Appalacian Mountains and zillions of spots in-between. Unless one lives in Death Valley, I'd think most folks could find similar diversity near home.
For us 454 gassers, fuel costs come out at less than a hundred bucks for two days & three nights of enjoyable traveling....to me, well worth it...

So, enjoy four buck gas....it's probably gonna sound cheap in the not too distant future..

Besides, I just had the unfinished portion of my basement drywalled....I know who's making the BIG money

PS: How's that new step working out? That's next on my list......

Ebay now has 2788 RV listings , on the first 2 pages of listings only 40 even have a bib made on them. Of the five couples we RV with 1 has logged 8000 miles this year, an other 3500 miles and the third has plans for a Chicago to Seattle trip over the summer, the other two will do instate weekend trips. WE will do 4-5 ,4 day long weekends and a fall trip. All who wander are not lost.

quote:

Originally posted by SLOOP JOHN B:
Ebay now has 2788 RV listings , on the first 2 pages of listings only 40 even have a bib made on them.

I suspect that the most bids are at the last few minutes. I never bid early for fear of running the price up.

And, of course, where there is a reserve, people just wait and watch. Or skip or forget.

quote:

Unless one lives in Death Valley, I'd think most folks could find similar diversity near home.

Hmmmm, we kinda like DV and the surrounding area. Especially the Eastern slope of the Sierra. You have to like hunting, fishing, hiking and 4Wheeling, but it is a favorite area for us.

DV itself could use a little shade and some ice water, though. We lie on the golf course at twilite and listen to the coyotes as the evaporation cools us.

bill h; I was only refering to the lack of bids. A little more research shows that about 35% of all the listing for motorized RV,s have any offers at all which is way low compared to the average compared to 1 year ago as I see it. I know I watch this market to close but it is a habit I can.t seem to quit. At least its not as bad as the housing market which has put me nearly out of the real estate appraisal business for the last year.This market is the worst I have seen in the 41 years as a apprasier. , All who wander are not lost

quote:

Originally posted by SLOOP JOHN B:
A little more research shows that about 35% of all the listing for motorized RV,s have any offers at all which is way low compared to the average compared to 1 year ago.

Hmmm......food for thought. Do you think this is due to fewer new owners entering the market or fewer owners moving up? Or could one be causing the other?

quote:

At least its not as bad as the housing market which has put me nearly out of the real estate appraisal business for the last year.This market is the worst I have seen in the 41 years as a apprasier.

Geeze, I'm with you on hoping things pick up. We wanna move to AZ. With my luck, they'l be invaded or run outa water or something.

Since I have StaRV II, I don't track ebay like I usta, but I do check prices occasionally. In my observations, prices are already depressed, and even so, there are no serious bids - for anything! Kinda like '72 (Arab oil embargo); RVs just didn't sell. It looks as if the market has entered that scenario, again.

Tell me about depressed markets. I marketed the Barth for a year (not as seriously or as broadly as I might have) & garnered one real money offer for about half the NADA price. I took it.

It's more than RVs. Driving around town, I see a lot of second cars/toys parked by the road with for sale signs, & local classifieds show the same thing. I bet you can get some real bargains on 'Vettes, 'Stangs, etc. now. Also, there is a noticeable reduction in weekend traffic on the streets.

My son-in-law, the builder, has nothing going now, & no immediate prospects. Fortunately, they sold their $600K house a year ago, & downsized. They can go for awhile, but they're pushing 60, & eating up their retirement.

The economy is a lot weaker now, than in '72. We've lost our manufacturing edge, & the dollar is weak. For a quarter-century, public fiscal policy has been based on reducing taxes, increasing spending, & borrowing to pay the bills. This, plus a financial sector that has churned money to skim dollar profits without creating real economic value, has bred a crop of chickens that are coming home to roost.

The fundamental rule of economics is still, "If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall." We have ignored that rule as a nation, & as individuals, since 1980. We're going to learn that you can't eat pie-in-the-sky, & our belts are going to be pretty tight before the world economy reaches equilibrium once more.

Curious, I've been watching eBay for the past several days. Unlike a year ago, one can get a 40' SOB for 1/2 NADA - a '02 Monaco 40' sold for ~$62K; a '99 Gulfstream '40, for ~$43K. Even an '01 Winnebago Freedom 40' (loaded) sold for ~$70K.

Prices have indeed plummeted. And this is only the beginning, IMHO...

I decided to track eBay RV "sales" - in the past two days, there basically aren't any. Dealers still cling to NADA, even though those prices have been overtaken by events.

I've seen NO sales in the past 48 hours, and bids are well below "Buy It Now" levels. The only ones that may sell are those with no reserve.