NY Times - As Elkhart goes

Within the past year, there have been a few posters talking about building campgrounds - they were all told how stupid they were...

Lynnmor wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Based upon the lack of available campsites in the Eastern US, I might be inclined to believe that RV sales are quite strong...

Then again, based upon the lack of available campsites in the Eastern US, I might be inclined to believe that everyone that wanted to buy one already bought it, and RV sales might be dipping.

And yet again, based upon the lack of available campsites in the Eastern US, I might be inclined to believe that people will become discouraged from buying when there is no place to go.

I think about that too. They are building new RV's and we are making more new RV buyers faster then they are building new campgrounds.

And, in my area the "powers that be" have decided that some public campgrounds should be all "seasonal sites". Seasonal sites in may area are just retirement cabins for rich farmers. (It kinda pisses me off that my tax dollars go to a "Public Campground" that I can never use.)

With all this pressure on the camping areas where is everyone with a RV going to go??

spoon059 wrote:
Based upon the lack of available campsites in the Eastern US, I might be inclined to believe that RV sales are quite strong...

Then again, based upon the lack of available campsites in the Eastern US, I might be inclined to believe that everyone that wanted to buy one already bought it, and RV sales might be dipping.

And yet again, based upon the lack of available campsites in the Eastern US, I might be inclined to believe that people will become discouraged from buying when there is no place to go.

Based upon the lack of available campsites in the Eastern US, I might be inclined to believe that RV sales are quite strong...

Then again, based upon the lack of available campsites in the Eastern US, I might be inclined to believe that everyone that wanted to buy one already bought it, and RV sales might be dipping.

I'll just stay perched on the fence for a while...

We were just in the Elkhart area last month and took a tour of one of the plants. The person giving the tour said they were at capacity in building units and only had very few trailers in the lot that were not already committed. The problem they are having is finding enough transporters.
The RV industry, just like any other, will have cycles. It all depends on which of the economists you want ot listen to. So many of the doom and gloom articles are click-bait to sell something. It is hard to really know.

The RV industry is cyclical like anything else. The aircraft industry is another example along with the automotive industry. Just because a lot of baby boomers are retiring doesn't necessarily mean they put away enough money to spend on recreational items. Living below your means doesn't seem to be the normal anymore. I'm greatful manufacturing jobs are coming back onshore instead of service type low wage jobs. Chinese are building a tire plant in Carolina, Toyota and Mazda building new plants that will pay decent wages as well. A British steel company is reopening a steel plant that will employee people with a decent wage as well. This will give people more disposable income to purchase things like RV'S.

pasusan wrote:
OK guys - put your heads in the sand. Truth will out. :p

The funny thing is, after that happens everyone that didn't believe the truth will suddenly forget that they didn't believe the truth, and move on to the next untruth.

FlatBroke wrote:

JoeH wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
Your first problem is you're reading the NYT. Once you discount for that there is nothing left worth reading.

Agree

In before the lock. Me too.

OK guys - put your heads in the sand. Truth will out. :p

Hard to believe there is a slow down here in Elkhart. . . hiring signs remain out throughout all of northern Indiana. A family member just got hired by Grand Design. Claimed they pursued him. . . which I don't believe since he has never been in the industry. But he did get hired.

If they are going to 4 days, perhaps it may be to add more shifts. If you need a job, come to Elkhart/northern Indiana/Michiana. Restaurants are closing by 2 p.m. because they don't have the wait staff. For the first time in a long time, jobs seem to outnumber the bodies to fill them. Taco Bell closed it's dining room in Warsaw due to lack of staff. Drive in only open later in the day.

Auxiliary services are pretty much bogged down with work. . . people are having to wait for service. New support businesses are popping up. My guess is if you have skills, you would be snapped up in a heartbeat.

Dale

JoeH wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
Your first problem is you're reading the NYT. Once you discount for that there is nothing left worth reading.

Agree

In before the lock. Me too.