Tariffs trip up the all-American RV industry

tomman58 wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

tomman58 wrote:

bid_time wrote:

tomman58 wrote:
"But if we get an agreement,it will be to our benefit. You would think the tax cuts and cuts in regulations, they would offset the cost of the tarrifs. With the economy roaring along like it is, these industries will get through it."

"if" we get an agreement. Nothing says we will or that it would benefit us at all. Tax cuts and reg cuts have not and will not help. The economy is going in trillion dollar debt and is up to 8 1/2 T.
The premise of this page was RV's and of course none of the current mess is going to help us. Peoples wages are barely moving up while the cost for us to have fun is rising fast as are our PU trucks. People work hard to get to retirement (ME) and with our very fixed incomes the price for RVing keeps going up. Someone needs to come up with a great unit at 20% less not more!

You got a diesel, a 2018 33' trailer, two high end bicycles and a Honda genny and you're pontificating about being on a fixed income - give me a break.

Actually it is about 40' trailer with my added rack on the back. First I am on a fixed income. Secondly why should it matter to you what I have? Thirdly You go through life4 and you make your own choices on how to live, what to eat, where to live and so on. You are also responsible for you income, savings and SS deposits. Those choices are your business and no one else. Bottom line I see thousands of folks like me on the road all years long. I hope to see more young people have the same wonderful experiences like me and my family.
Currently I don't see people being able to afford RVing like so many of us have because incomes are shrinking not expanding and world events are costing us trillions by poor choices.

According to the US census bureau, average US income has increased above the inflation rate for the past three years. Adjusted for inflation, Average income is at a record high. Unemployment is at or near all time record lows. RV sales have also had multiple years of record sales. Apparently more, not less, people are able to afford RVing.

Interesting but there are many problems, with the "who" can afford RV's at retirement, currently: the median retirement savings by age in the U.S. is:

Americans in their 20s: $16,000
Americans in their 30s: $45,000
Americans in their 40s: $63,000
Americans in their 50s: $117,000
Americans in their 60s: $172,000
This is terrible to say the least. The only ones with a true retirement are those who had a very good 401K or belonged to a union that had complete benefits and pensions. Sorry I've seen to many young people moving back to home and to many seniors eking by.

we did everything wrong. we married at 19 and 18. i didn't finish college, my wife did but never really used her degree. we worked blue collar govt jobs both rising to mgmt and administrative positions. i had no plan for a future beyond the immediate. my wife's brother talked her into opening a mutual fund account with 20th Century without my knowledge. i was nervous when i learned about it but hung on. glad i did. glad she did what she did.

we both retired at 55, no 401k, no union jobs. we did have deferred compensation accounts and we both contributed to traditional and, later, Roth IRAs. what we did do was to shed all debt including mortgage, invested monthly in taxable mutual funds with a buy-and-hold strategy, established a budget and lived comfortably but considerably beneath our means. i acknowledge a bit of luck in selecting good mutual funds since we didn't use a FA.

i'm not comfortable in disclosing our net worth online but lets just say we're way, way ahead of those averages. if we can do this i suspect that most anyone can. grasshoppers vs ants. my only regret is that we didn't start earlier.