So I read the post here where it's claimed that RV sales are up.I heard that Class B van types campers are up slightly and everything else is down.My thinking is... I'm not going in debt right now until things calm down and get more back to normal. And I have been out of work for 7 weeks. Unemployment is through the roof right now. I really don't see how RV sales could be up since this crisis. Unless theres something I'm missing. When you are out of work or on a reduced schedule why go into debt for something like an RV. Even if you are still working isnt it in the back of your mind "what does the future hold"??I would expect to see alot of RVs, boats, motorcycles, etc up FOR SALE and an increase of repossessions.Me personally, well, I was at the RV show earlier this year...just looking. Glad I didnt buy anything.

I suspect a number of RV's are being bought as "isolation chambers" for folks trying to avoid potentially infecting family members if their jobs place them in potential CV-19 exposure situations. Others are likely being bought as replacements for vacations normally done by air or cruise travel. And of course some are just long planned purchases that happen to come together now. Certainly some of the sales are being financed, but I'd bet not all of them...

So just reread your first sentence. You're post is tied to that sentence being true.

I just retired and thought I'd planned perfectly. I had planned for the stock market to tank at the beginning of our retirement so I reduced my exposure to the stock market, sold our house, and moved to an area w much lower cost of living last year. My current income is based on sales of fresh potatoes and onions and only a pandemic could and did hurt that business. The business withstood the dot com bubble, 9/11, and the Great Recession with barely any reduction in sales at all, but so far the first 2 months of the pandemic have been very discouraging. People need to eat but w no restaurants and 35 million plus unemployed even something as basic as a potatoes and onions are not selling. I don't know of any business that is impervious to the current and forthcoming economic disaster. I want a truck and truck camper, but I'm really having a hard time making the decisions required to go through with the purchase. I'd like to visit the plant were the camper's are made but the thought of spending 3 nights in a motel is horrifying right now. I'm not sure what interest rates are being paid on rv's but they must be historically low and gas is very inexpensive. However, I wouldn't want to be mixing it up in campgrounds and rv parks(not my style anyway.) If I was younger and had kids to feed and educate I wouldn't be in the market for any major purchases (oil changes and new tires only)till there is a vaccine for cv19.

RV debt might be lower than the apartment rent. And more mobile for a job offer out of town.Modest RV is actually a way of life for a growing number of people.

RV sales are up and probably will continue to increase. People who would travel overseas or fly to expensive domestic destinations are diverting that money to a RV purchase so they can vacation more locally.

our current FINANCIAL situation | Good Sam Community

pnichols
Explorer II
May 11, 2020
JAC1982 wrote:
Another thing to consider is the stimulus checks people received. A family of 4 that makes less than $150k a year (which is still a decent income in many parts of the country) would have received $3400. Now, it's not a bad idea to put that into savings. But many people don't do that, so they could combine that with maybe a vacation fund they had to take the kids somewhere for Spring Break or Summer Vacation, and that's a nice down payment on a travel trailer. Even if they are still both working they would still receive that money.

What .... "A family of 4 that makes less than $150k a year (which is still a decent income in many parts of the country ....)"

That's a decent income all righty ... in spades. How many, and in what places in this country, are families of 4 (the parents of which are working for THE MAN) bringing in that kind of yearly income??? :h
Super_Dave
Explorer
May 11, 2020
pnichols wrote:
JAC1982 wrote:
Another thing to consider is the stimulus checks people received. A family of 4 that makes less than $150k a year (which is still a decent income in many parts of the country) would have received $3400. Now, it's not a bad idea to put that into savings. But many people don't do that, so they could combine that with maybe a vacation fund they had to take the kids somewhere for Spring Break or Summer Vacation, and that's a nice down payment on a travel trailer. Even if they are still both working they would still receive that money.

What .... "A family of 4 that makes less than $150k a year (which is still a decent income in many parts of the country ....)"

That's a decent income all righty ... in spades. How many, and in what places in this country, are families of 4 (the parents of which are working for THE MAN) bringing in that kind of yearly income??? :h

Almost ANY place where the parents are professionals.
JAC1982
Explorer
May 11, 2020
pnichols wrote:
JAC1982 wrote:
Another thing to consider is the stimulus checks people received. A family of 4 that makes less than $150k a year (which is still a decent income in many parts of the country) would have received $3400. Now, it's not a bad idea to put that into savings. But many people don't do that, so they could combine that with maybe a vacation fund they had to take the kids somewhere for Spring Break or Summer Vacation, and that's a nice down payment on a travel trailer. Even if they are still both working they would still receive that money.

What .... "A family of 4 that makes less than $150k a year (which is still a decent income in many parts of the country ....)"

That's a decent income all righty ... in spades. How many, and in what places in this country, are families of 4 (the parents of which are working for THE MAN) bringing in that kind of yearly income??? :h

I mean here in Denver Metro, probably many assuming both parents work in white collar jobs or the expert trades. My point is, a lot of families who didn't even really NEED the stimulus money got it. Even those who make over 150k but under 190k still got something. It amounts to "free" money to those who aren't even struggling right now. So they can put it towards a "fun" purchase, like an RV of some kind.
time2roll
Nomad
May 11, 2020
JAC1982 wrote:
I mean here in Denver Metro, probably many assuming both parents work in white collar jobs or the expert trades. My point is, a lot of families who didn't even really NEED the stimulus money got it. Even those who make over 150k but under 190k still got something. It amounts to "free" money to those who aren't even struggling right now. So they can put it towards a "fun" purchase, like an RV of some kind.
Yes got a stimulus check but DW is still fighting for unemployment going on six weeks now. SNAFU

The employed don't need stimulus and too many unemployed are still struggling or going under soon.

Now if I could just close the new financing I started early February...
garmp
Explorer II
May 11, 2020
Super Dave wrote:
I guess I was secretly hoping that all the folks that were temporarily out of work burned all their vacation time to get a paycheck and the campgrounds would be empty this summer.

X2;)
cptqueeg
Explorer II
May 11, 2020
pnichols wrote:

What .... "A family of 4 that makes less than $150k a year (which is still a decent income in many parts of the country ....)"

That's a decent income all righty ... in spades. How many, and in what places in this country, are families of 4 (the parents of which are working for THE MAN) bringing in that kind of yearly income??? :h

Yeah any where w/in 100 miles of I95 from Virginia north to Boston and lots of other places too. $150,000 doesn't go that far when you consider mortgage, cars, fed and SALT, saving for retirement/college taking care of elderly parents, and childcare, you have your work cut out for you. All that and you really haven't had any fun yet like sports, music and dance lessons, vacations, etc etc.
cptqueeg
Explorer II
May 11, 2020
My wife used to commute to Wall St. Parking at the train station was $250/month, train ticket was $450/month and subway to get down town from Grand Central was $110/month, plus car and gas to get to the train station.
JAC1982
Explorer
May 12, 2020
Yup, it's all relative to where you live. $150k a year in the Denver Metro is decent, but not great, especially if you have kids. We have friends with 3 little ones paying close to $5,000 a month in childcare. They both make enough to not make it worth one of them quitting to stay home with the kids, plus doing that can often hinder your career in the long run. Shoot even a babysitter so you can go on a date night every now and then around here is $20/hour.
magicbus
Explorer II
May 12, 2020
JAC1982 wrote:
Yup, it's all relative to where you live.
So true. Here on Nantucket $160,000 annual income for a 4 person household is the upper limit for low-income housing.

Dave
B_O__Plenty
Explorer II
May 14, 2020
Retired. Nothing has changed. Pensions are the same, SS is the same. Same lifestyle. Like a lot of retirees, if we decide we want something, if we can afford it, we buy it. I think that's where a lot of RV sales are going.
B.O.

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