The RV industry, predictions for the future  -  Roaming Times RVing article
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"Somewhat different" - predictions for the future after the RV market bounces back

How RoTi sees the changing future of RVs and RVing...

Fleetwood Bounder class A gas motorhome exterior 
2009 Fleetwood Bounder (see review)
Fleetwood says "Bounder has been popular for more than 20 years, with sales unmatched by any other motor home brand."  Will big motorhomes continue to be popular?

 RV sales are a leading financial indicator; they are among the first things to decline going into a recession and they have always been among the leaders in a recovery.

Will this be true this time?  Yes, but there are other factors that are going to make it somewhat different.

This is how RoTi sees the changing future of RVs and RVing
(But what do we know? - apart from talking to a lot of RV companies and reading thousands of emails and hundreds of thousands of inputs from RVers over more than 10 years on the web):

  1. The survival of the fittest - Darwin's theory applied to RVing...
    RV manufacturers, dealers, suppliers and all RV-related businesses need to not only survive but adapt to the changing economy, the changing social environment and relentlessly increasing technical innovation.  Survive, adapt, re-invent and re-market themselves... (RoTi can help with the re-marketing part?)

  2. Better quality, better customer service - don't just stand there, make it better...
    It's more than just surviving - it's meeting a need for improved products.  RoTi readers tell us all the good stuff - but they tell us a lot of the bad stuff too (search RV reviews by manufacturer and read some of the good and the bad.)

  3. The color of the future is green - use less of it - or - if you've got it, maybe you should just use it a bit more effectively?...
    Fuel efficiency, renewable energy - we all know of course, we're hearing about it day and night.  Obama, windmills, solar panels - and, no doubt, many things we've never even thought of...
    For the RV industry it's really just started - have you seen this RV chassis?   RoTi green Rv section

  4. The size of the future is small - or maybe just smaller? - and maybe only most of us?
    Cool small stuff  -  Small travel trailers (unbelievably popular section of RoTi)  -  RVing is good for the environment
       

Somewhat different - how RoTi sees the changing future of RVs and RVing
 Survival, better quality, better customer service, green, small...

What do you think?  Read RoTi readers' comments below and add your own opinion ...
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Readers' comments
(Latest comments first)

What do you think? - add your comments here  
  
authorcomments
Kent BonnerI think its about customer service. I call the company and they tell me my call is very important to them then leave me for 10 minutes and then don't want to help me. I've good experience with with the last dealer but bad experience with most manufacturers. Listen is my advice. Survive, for most i don't think so.
JacI hope that the RV industries will understand that the ones that will survive this recession are those that start respecting the customers. Those that will start building a product that will have as good a quality as it is asked now in the car business. For too many years, the RV industry gave their clients half finished RVs that had to be finished by the dealers sometimes at the expense of the customer that had to travel great distances to get a justified repair done on warranty. If they want to make money, why don't they understand that the customer is their most precious ambassador. Jac.
Hoping to buyI like the relentlessly changing innovation comment. There's never been a period of change like this before. Period. RVs? We have a 2003 5er and we just can't sell it, we've advertised everywhere not one enquiry. We've reduced the price. We'll buy after we sell and probably smaller and more market-friendly.
CarrieI like this attitude of being optimistic but realistic and I think these predictions are good. We're thinking of downsizing from a class A to a class B but can we sell the class A and can we get credit to buy the B? Another thing that really scares us is will it all change? The class B that we're thinking of is a diesel vehicle, will they bring out a hybrid next year or something much more fuel efficient and we'll be stuck with an out-of-date RV? Thanks for the article.
Mark D.The RV market will continue to take a big hit in 2009 and 2010. The money to purchase these vehicles came from Home Equity loans and second mortgages. With stocks down, housing down and unemployment going to 8-9%, many companies will go bankrupt. Just hearing of problems at Winnebago, Monaco, CC, will make potential buyers look elsewhere, putting more pressure on them. Why buy a new RV for 250-500K, when there are 1,000's for sale with low mileage. The companies do not need to make any more for a year or two, way too much supply. If housing is down 25-40% in price, RV prices will fall atleast 50-70%. Best time in history to buy, no price is too low.

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