Has anyone noticed

[D_E_Bishop]

My wife and I have been on the road for a few weeks, we went up I-5 from Los Angeles and over to the central Oregon coast and now down into California on 101. We think that we have seen a larger number of high end class A's that appear brand new than ever before. I'm talking clean, dirt free wheel wells and running gear new.

I'm thinking that the owners are new to the life style and bought way over their heads, that, or the average RVer just can't afford to travel right now. We're in an ocean/bay front park right now, nothing special, no trees or hedges dividing the spaces, no paved roads, only about a 8'X8' pad next to the parking spot, no gravel or paving to park on in the sites just dirt, no fire rings, just dead grass but it is an ocean/bay front park with great views. Normally we are among rigs similar to ours, a few years old gassers with a little wear and tear, not this trip, DP's all over very clean and stately, in what if it were not for the views is a low end park with no facilities to speak of, not what we are accustomed to seeing. The number of really big trailers is also greater than normal.

It just seems that it has been this way since we left home.

[valhalla360]

wapiticountry wrote:
Why is it assumed that everyone in a big rig is living above their means? In my personal experiences, both owning big rigs and owning an RV park I have found the opposite to be the case. Not everyone is teetering on bankruptcy.

Certainly not all but a great many put on a good show while living paycheck to paycheck. This isn't specific to RVs but many upper middle class folks.

They may be making the payments...now... but very few have the liquid cash to be buying $500-750k toys. If they lose their jobs or hit another financial issue, many will be having the MH repossessed in a short time.

Taking on that burden at a time of economic instability, is very risky for these folks.

[valhalla360]

way2roll wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
So basically you’ve just noticed the surge in RV purchases?
But in the form of pushers and big trailers? Fwiw there’s more new “other” RVs out there too.

This is not new news. 2020 just called and they want their story back.

Bad part is a lot of these new RVers are “working from home” folks, whom are putting a strain on the productivity of many jobs. Another issue that is costing companies money by folks taking advantage of a situation or allowance.

I know this is a tangent, but on our (1) trip this year, I saw more than a couple working age folks sitting at their picnic tables on their laptops for extended periods during weekdays.
Longer than just “checking email” and less than working all day.
Based on the performance of the remaining “work at home” slugs in our company, and firms that I work with daily, these folks are milking the company dime.
This trend is disturbing and quite frankly makes my job harder, when numerous people who’s performance I rely on as a manager can basically work reduced hours and it’s not enforceable.
In the company I work for, we have idk, about 3500 staff of salaried positions. About half of which aren’t field supervision positions (construction). Officially we are now at “50% return to work” capacity. A self imposed limit by our self imposed “pandemic response group”. 50%?? I’ve seen a few of these same people who must “work from home” due to the pandemic, out hopping around on weekends with the masses.
One of the “work from Homers” as we call them, I saw at the Sounders soccer game yesterday with his son…. In the office, he limits his time there, you know, because of the 50% rule, but on a Saturday he’s cool with going to an event with 20,000 random people and no mask!

But it’s good for the RV industry eh!

Not sure if you are disgruntled or this is just nonsensical drivel. I've been working remote for 6 years now and I work more hours and longer than when I did at the office. Not sure how this puts a "strain on the productivity of other jobs". Frankly it's efficient and keeps costs like office space, electricity infrastructure etc, down.

Yeah, we've been doing remote work since 2007. We are more available than when we were working out of an office.

This last year, a lot of companies saw big earnings gains as a lot of office related costs melted away. In the long term, companies are looking to cut way back on office space and the expenses that come with it.

If people aren't doing their jobs, it will come out fairly quickly.

Sounds like someone has a job where they are required on site and if disgruntled over those who are not required on site.

As far as high end diesel pushers...did a 7 month loop from Michigan to California to Florida and back over the winter. Didn't see anything unusual in terms of the type of RV.

[wapiticountry]

Why is it assumed that everyone in a big rig is living above their means? In my personal experiences, both owning big rigs and owning an RV park I have found the opposite to be the case. Not everyone is teetering on bankruptcy.

[2012Coleman]

way2roll wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
So basically you’ve just noticed the surge in RV purchases?
But in the form of pushers and big trailers? Fwiw there’s more new “other” RVs out there too.

This is not new news. 2020 just called and they want their story back.

Bad part is a lot of these new RVers are “working from home” folks, whom are putting a strain on the productivity of many jobs. Another issue that is costing companies money by folks taking advantage of a situation or allowance.

I know this is a tangent, but on our (1) trip this year, I saw more than a couple working age folks sitting at their picnic tables on their laptops for extended periods during weekdays.
Longer than just “checking email” and less than working all day.
Based on the performance of the remaining “work at home” slugs in our company, and firms that I work with daily, these folks are milking the company dime.
This trend is disturbing and quite frankly makes my job harder, when numerous people who’s performance I rely on as a manager can basically work reduced hours and it’s not enforceable.
In the company I work for, we have idk, about 3500 staff of salaried positions. About half of which aren’t field supervision positions (construction). Officially we are now at “50% return to work” capacity. A self imposed limit by our self imposed “pandemic response group”. 50%?? I’ve seen a few of these same people who must “work from home” due to the pandemic, out hopping around on weekends with the masses.
One of the “work from Homers” as we call them, I saw at the Sounders soccer game yesterday with his son…. In the office, he limits his time there, you know, because of the 50% rule, but on a Saturday he’s cool with going to an event with 20,000 random people and no mask!

But it’s good for the RV industry eh!

Not sure if you are disgruntled or this is just nonsensical drivel. I've been working remote for 6 years now and I work more hours and longer than when I did at the office. Not sure how this puts a "strain on the productivity of other jobs". Frankly it's efficient and keeps costs like office space, electricity infrastructure etc, down.

My vote is for nonsensical drivel. I work for a multi-billion dollar transportation company that was forced to give up their paradigms regarding work from home. To their astonishment, productivity climbed 35% in the first quarter of last year and is still climbing. Profits are setting records, and I'm getting nice bonuses and a substantial increase this year. One colleague bought a huge class C and went out on the road - this guy is a team lead so I guess some people have what it takes to lead in this type of situation, while others do not. Personally, I have gained so much by not having to interact with others bothering me that I'm able to help other teams. We have been able to hire talent in parts of the country that would have previously been unavailable if their presence was required at the office. There is a certain software package by Microsoft that enables us to collaborate and contact anyone - just like walking up to their desk. Some people will return to the office at some point - and will be required to be vaccinated, but after being asked, I opted to stay at home.

[way2roll]

Grit dog wrote:
So basically you’ve just noticed the surge in RV purchases?
But in the form of pushers and big trailers? Fwiw there’s more new “other” RVs out there too.

This is not new news. 2020 just called and they want their story back.

Bad part is a lot of these new RVers are “working from home” folks, whom are putting a strain on the productivity of many jobs. Another issue that is costing companies money by folks taking advantage of a situation or allowance.

I know this is a tangent, but on our (1) trip this year, I saw more than a couple working age folks sitting at their picnic tables on their laptops for extended periods during weekdays.
Longer than just “checking email” and less than working all day.
Based on the performance of the remaining “work at home” slugs in our company, and firms that I work with daily, these folks are milking the company dime.
This trend is disturbing and quite frankly makes my job harder, when numerous people who’s performance I rely on as a manager can basically work reduced hours and it’s not enforceable.
In the company I work for, we have idk, about 3500 staff of salaried positions. About half of which aren’t field supervision positions (construction). Officially we are now at “50% return to work” capacity. A self imposed limit by our self imposed “pandemic response group”. 50%?? I’ve seen a few of these same people who must “work from home” due to the pandemic, out hopping around on weekends with the masses.
One of the “work from Homers” as we call them, I saw at the Sounders soccer game yesterday with his son…. In the office, he limits his time there, you know, because of the 50% rule, but on a Saturday he’s cool with going to an event with 20,000 random people and no mask!

But it’s good for the RV industry eh!

Not sure if you are disgruntled or this is just nonsensical drivel. I've been working remote for 6 years now and I work more hours and longer than when I did at the office. Not sure how this puts a "strain on the productivity of other jobs". Frankly it's efficient and keeps costs like office space, electricity infrastructure etc, down.

[ferndaleflyer]

I am wondering where these $100k new rigs are. My old 1998 Monaco cost $234,000+ new and I have put all the miles on it but kept inside and washed and waxed as it is I am probably one of those fancy rigs being referred to here. LOL

[Dtank]

Ivylog wrote:
Must be a left coast thing having just completed 6 weeks in CO, WY, UT, and the N Rim… less busy than last summer and as usual, I’m the only big rig in the CG dry camping on the dirt.

The Left Coast:
Note the OP says he was at the Central Oregon COAST, then down 101
to a "no frills" park on the COAST.

The Oregon COAST is great in the summer! Whole different environment in the winter. ("Horizontal" rain due to wind, & "normal" rain also).

*If* you're in CA - anywhere *not* close to the COAST - it's HOT !!.:(
Some inland locales are both hot due to the temperature AND due
to fires.

Also in CA - "pre-pandemic" - reservations at State campground along the COAST have always been sold out the day after you can make reservations (6 mo in advance). Better make reservations well in advance for private campgrounds along the COAST as well.

Sooooo if you don't have reservations, you take what you can get...if you can "get"...anything! - no matter what type of RV. Nothing new! :W



.

[Ivylog]

Must be a left coast thing having just completed 6 weeks in CO, WY, UT, and the N Rim… less busy than last summer and as usual, I’m the only big rig in the CG dry camping on the dirt.

[wa8yxm]

There are a lot of folks who have been cooped up for a year now that are thinking The RV life looks.... interesting. And some who have been forced to "Downsize" though when you figure some of those Class A's go from between 100 grand new up to over a quarter million (250,000) I'm not sure how much "Downsizing" it is $$$ wise.

but Enjoy I just downsized (last year) From a 100,000 new RV with terminal damage from an aggressive seim (no injury) to an apartment.. What downsized.. Well I was paying off the RV loan a bit faster than the bank desired in order to pay it off sooner.. and the monthly check was larger than the monthly rent.

There is much more.. it was time to move on and I think the Rig was about to hit me with a MAJOR fix me bill so I'm not at all upset.. Feeling better than I have in a while in fact.

[Veebyes]

Dirt is not permitted to fall on those high end As

[_1Flyboy]

……….And the campers attitudes have also changed; and how many new USFS / BLM / State / Utility / Government campgrounds have you seen open up in the last few years to accommodate the last 6 years of Record RV Sales??? We got rid of our Class A & Towed a couple years ago & UPGRADED to a TC; we’re still Happy Campers….

[NamMedevac_70]

All good things eventually

[mr_andyj]

It could be that these big RVs have always been owned, but were previously just parked in the storage lot. Now that more are out of work, or are forced to hide (especially the West coast persons) from an unverified virus yet to be identified and are free to travel more, or forced to work from home (or the rv) and are able to take more frequent or longer RV trips that we are able to see them on the road.

It always amazes me how many campers and rv and boats just sit in the same storage lot 51 weeks out of the year anyway. Seems like it would just be cheaper to rent an rv for that one week a year that most use them. I guess it is fun to own the dream though, to know it is yours and there waiting for your adventures.

[jdc1]

Take into consideration, the more expensive RV "parks" are filled up too, leaving the upper-crust RV'ers no choice but to park their rigs in the dirt we are accustomed to camping on.

[Lwiddis]

Emma Wood SB?