In 2 years time I can no longer afford to buy a camper

BradW wrote:
I need a new Miller mig welding machine. I've been looking at them for the last 3 years. In that time the machine I wanted has gone from about $2400 to $4000. Whoever is saying inflation is 7.9% is full of it.

It's because as soon as you are seen coming in the door with the thick heavy Redneck wallet the computers uptick all the amounts throughout the whole store. It's called customer appreciation day when they see you coming.

I have slowed down the timeline on building on my property due to the work and supply shortages. With the current elevated prices, I can wait it out a couple of years. Sometimes you have adjust to current conditions even if you were ready yesterday to step ahead.

JIMNLIN wrote:
If your looking to buy don't wait for even higher prices.

I don't subscribe to the "hurry up and buy!" mentality. Not at all. In fact, when that gets ingrained in people, I take a step or two way back. Which is what I am doing now. I don't NEED a new truck camper. I can happily go through the rest of my life and never buy one. I already own an RV. I'm not in a hurry to jump into another depreciating asset. Yes, I did say DEPRECIATING, because that's what they are.

This current price action is temporary, in my opinion. All the stimulus money has been pushed into the economy. That is over. Now the FED's tightening, and credit will be drying up. I have a sneaking suspicion in a few years that RV sellers will be begging for a sale.

silversand wrote:

BradW wrote:
I need a new Miller mig welding machine. I've been looking at them for the last 3 years. In that time the machine I wanted has gone from about $2400 to $4000. Whoever is saying inflation is 7.9% is full of it.

that's correct....inflation (consumer) in the US is running 16% ++ presently. But it's not as high as it was in 1917, when inflation was 19.6%. But at this rate, real inflation (your purchasing power) may take a 20% or 30% hit in near future. When consumer interest rates hit 12% to 16%. Imagine how much a mortgage payment will cost then? Better renew fast. I should have started a chartered bank 3 years ago, and got $billions in free money from the Fed at 0%.....to lend out at 8% !

...the way "we" measure inflation today (CPI) is all wrong. We need to measure inflation based on the stuff we really buy. Look at gasoline. In our neck of the woods, gasoline prices went up by 50% (!). What about home heating cost? A travel trailer? We were looking at a particular brand of trailers. 3 years ago, $22,700. Today? $38,000.

But I'm preaching to the choir :D

At the risk of starting some back and fourth, I'm already seeing the housing market "which I follow" coming down in Central Florida. I am seeing the cost of certain new travel trailers also coming down as in dealer rebates and sales. Not all but the cheaper lines. Groceries have dropped some here too. NOT! a ton but some, a little bit. Gas was 4.49 this time last week and it's down to 4.19 today. Cycles happen because of political and world events and of course people taking advantage of a bad situation. I bring this up because my wife and I are looking to dump some cash in a rental but our realtor said lets wait for a while and see what happens. She thinks the housing market is ready to bust.

BradW wrote:
I need a new Miller mig welding machine. I've been looking at them for the last 3 years. In that time the machine I wanted has gone from about $2400 to $4000. Whoever is saying inflation is 7.9% is full of it.

that's correct....inflation (consumer) in the US is running 16% ++ presently. But it's not as high as it was in 1917, when inflation was 19.6%. But at this rate, real inflation (your purchasing power) may take a 20% or 30% hit in near future. When consumer interest rates hit 12% to 16%. Imagine how much a mortgage payment will cost then? Better renew fast. I should have started a chartered bank 3 years ago, and got $billions in free money from the Fed at 0%.....to lend out at 8% !

...the way "we" measure inflation today (CPI) is all wrong. We need to measure inflation based on the stuff we really buy. Look at gasoline. In our neck of the woods, gasoline prices went up by 50% (!). What about home heating cost? A travel trailer? We were looking at a particular brand of trailers. 3 years ago, $22,700. Today? $38,000.

But I'm preaching to the choir :D

Bought my first truck camper in '72. It was a new 8' overhead model with hyd jacks at the corners...ice box...heater... no a/c....3 burner stove with oven...12v fresh water pump. Cost was 1095 bucks at the 1972 Tulsa Boat and travel show.
Tornado in '75 got it.
The mfg made the same 8' unit up till the late '90s but with A/C added...propane fridge...other added appliance improvements. The last year same model went for 9700 bucks.

Same with trucks. Brand new 1973 Super Cheyenne (before the Silverado) 2500 454 4wd loaded for 3275 bucks.

If your looking to buy don't wait for even higher prices.

time2roll wrote:
I am not convinced prices are coming down much on lightly used and well maintained RVs.
I don't see the prices for new moving down either.

World has gone mad. Getting tough out there.

Perhaps not, but I'm going to go with my gut and guess that, with the record number of RVs purchased this past year, and the pain coming for the record number of debtors out there, that if any "asset" is going to return to its historic rate of depreciation, it's RVs.

I heard that rolled steel prices are now up 40%, with food soon to be up by 20%, but as we all know this has absolutely nothing to do with anything - lol…

3 tons

I am not convinced prices are coming down much on lightly used and well maintained RVs.
I don't see the prices for new moving down either.

World has gone mad. Getting tough out there.

Tvov wrote:


So why didn't you buy two years ago? Or are you just talking in general about the situation?

Because all of a sudden they were locking everything down and it looked like I might not even be able to drive and use it. And yes, I'm referring to the inflation situation in general. The prices are out of this world now.