Out of touch with reality

[colliehauler]

I might be flying out to the Seattle area to pick up a vechicle. I thought of purchasing a used TT < 20' and spending some time in the Pacific Northwest. I went on Craigslist and received a rude awakening. I couldn't beleive the prices on garbage. Stuff that should be in the landfill for 5k and old square frame window trailers. I guess I will see what dealers want for a new small wolf pup if available.

[CavemanCharlie]

Walaby wrote:
I think there's shortages of some things out there that is obviously driving up prices, but I also believe some of it is made up.

Awhile back, there was supposedly a propane shortage. Can't speak for everywhere, but where Im at.. no shortage.

I, unfortunately, am in the beginning stages of building my retirement house. I could have waited, but then it likely would have delayed my retirement by another year, and who knows if the prices would go back down. I believe a lot of the price increases we are seeing that is attributed to shortages will never come back down. Oh, they might drop a little bit, but it' ain't coming down to pre-covid prices. No way. Businesses know people are willing to pay the price, so the new price points are being established now.

Mike

I agree that with things like lumber the prices may drop some but, not back to where it was. You can only put off building things for just so long and in some cases you can't put it off at all.

I'm not so sure about luxuries items like RV's though. It's been a boom recently but, all booms go bust eventually. It's anybody's guess when this will be though.

The Travel Trailer I got, though old and shot, works for me for now. I'm going to wait and see what happens. No way am I going to pay what they are asking right now. Something will maybe come along someday.

[Walaby]

I think there's shortages of some things out there that is obviously driving up prices, but I also believe some of it is made up.

Awhile back, there was supposedly a propane shortage. Can't speak for everywhere, but where Im at.. no shortage.

I, unfortunately, am in the beginning stages of building my retirement house. I could have waited, but then it likely would have delayed my retirement by another year, and who knows if the prices would go back down. I believe a lot of the price increases we are seeing that is attributed to shortages will never come back down. Oh, they might drop a little bit, but it' ain't coming down to pre-covid prices. No way. Businesses know people are willing to pay the price, so the new price points are being established now.

Mike

[Grit_dog]

colliehauler wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Bottom line, the number of RVs on the east coast or whatever fabulous deal you were able to get in December in Cleveland, when the weather s ucks and everyone but you is playing Santa Claus, not RVer, is not relevant at all to the OP's thread.

He's not going to be able to bop out to Seattle, buy his truck and just go grab a travel trailer for anything less than a very high price, comparatively speaking to what was or is considered the "norm."

Grit won't be making the trip after all. But it was a eye opener on the RV market. I wonder if used trailers are the affordable housing in your area that makes the market tight?

In my area if you go to Southern MO or AR there are deals to be had. I agree with others in a year or two there will be a flood of used trailers when a lot of people find camping isn't there thing.

Here, I believe it’s a combination of everything the rest of the country is experiencing. Manufacturing shortages due to Covid last year and increased numbers of “Covid Campers.” Add to that, specifically here in WA, population density in Western WA, generally a vary outdoor activity oriented state and state of mind, and one of the highest costs of living in the US (due to the industry Microsoft , Boeing, etc and the mild climate)

Only been here 10 years now, but have lived in several different parts of the country and Western WA is just plain expensive. With generally commensurate wages, as well.
Of the big ticket purchases made since living here, about half of them were not purchased locally, as the deals were better elsewhere.
Prime example, I needed a small cargo trailer to haul a load from the Midwest back to seattle. Was going to buy a used trailer here and dead head it East (with the intention of selling it when I was done with the trip). This was pre Covid by a couple years btw.
I couldn’t find a used trailer for what I could buy a new one for and have it delivered to my location in the Midwest, 100miles from the dealer. Bought the trailer, used it for a week, put it on Craigslist when I was about halfway back home, for almost 20% more than I had just paid. That was on a Sunday, and I ended up unloading it that night as I had a buyer the next day and had to haul it to work with me to sell. No haggling, handed me a fistfull of Benjis and I gave him the Mso and trailer. Evidently I didn’t ask enough money for it!

[colliehauler]

BarabooBob wrote:
We were looking at a 16' X 32' portable building (built off site and hauled to my property) back in September. The dealer called me one morning and said to get in there and sign the papers and put a deposit on it right now because the price was going up sometime that day. I drove over and signed and paid half up front. At close of business that day the dealer got a company wide email that announced a 28% increase and a month later another 20% was added. The are still selling as fast as they can build them.

I found that out with my 14'x40' Sturdi-built building. I got in before a 28% increase then a 10% surcharge this year. Wanted to get a new garage built this year but will hold off. I figure interest rates will rise on homes which should slow down building.

[colliehauler]

Grit dog wrote:
Bottom line, the number of RVs on the east coast or whatever fabulous deal you were able to get in December in Cleveland, when the weather s ucks and everyone but you is playing Santa Claus, not RVer, is not relevant at all to the OP's thread.

He's not going to be able to bop out to Seattle, buy his truck and just go grab a travel trailer for anything less than a very high price, comparatively speaking to what was or is considered the "norm."

Grit won't be making the trip after all. But it was a eye opener on the RV market. I wonder if used trailers are the affordable housing in your area that makes the market tight?

In my area if you go to Southern MO or AR there are deals to be had. I agree with others in a year or two there will be a flood of used trailers when a lot of people find camping isn't there thing.

[BarabooBob]

We were looking at a 16' X 32' portable building (built off site and hauled to my property) back in September. The dealer called me one morning and said to get in there and sign the papers and put a deposit on it right now because the price was going up sometime that day. I drove over and signed and paid half up front. At close of business that day the dealer got a company wide email that announced a 20% increase and a month later another 20% was added. The are still selling as fast as they can build them.

[Sjm9911]

afidel wrote:
I bought a new trailer in December for 30% off MSRP (from the manufacturer, not dealer), there are still deals to be had if you're willing to look around. That's said in general this market is insane, a KZ 181BH like the one I bought for $12,500 4.5 years ago is currently listed at the same dealership for just under $18k. That's $1,000 per foot or $150 per SQ foot, 50% more than the 2019 average cost for home construction!

Ikr, i am selling my jeep next week for 2k more then what i bought it for 6 years ago. Its a 2014, low miles, but to me that it went up in value is crazy. I did think about selling the KZ also. But i have disney trip in november , so i will keep it for a while. Dont want to cut off the nose to spite the face as they say.

[Grit_dog]

Bottom line, the number of RVs on the east coast or whatever fabulous deal you were able to get in December in Cleveland, when the weather s ucks and everyone but you is playing Santa Claus, not RVer, is not relevant at all to the OP's thread.

He's not going to be able to bop out to Seattle, buy his truck and just go grab a travel trailer for anything less than a very high price, comparatively speaking to what was or is considered the "norm."

[afidel]

I bought a new trailer in December for 30% off MSRP (from the manufacturer, not dealer), there are still deals to be had if you're willing to look around. That's said in general this market is insane, a KZ 181BH like the one I bought for $12,500 4.5 years ago is currently listed at the same dealership for just under $18k. That's $1,000 per foot or $150 per SQ foot, 50% more than the 2019 average cost for home construction!

[Mickeyfan0805]

Sjm9911 wrote:
Lol, you be suprised at the cost of new also, if you can get one. The reality is stuff is expensive now, especially campers. If you wait a year or so, it will go back to normal, i hope!

I don't know what the timeline will be, but this is where I am on a lot of thigs right now. Cars, RV's, major house projects - it's just a bad time for all of it.

In the RV market, I do expect there could be a 'bubble' on the horizon. The Covid rush into RV's is likely unsustainable (a lot of people jumped in without experience or understanding), and there will be a flood of used units on the market in a few years.

[Sjm9911]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Here in central NC, west of Raleigh on 64, there are 2 dealers about 20 mi apart that are full of new RVs. Mostly trailers. Up I-95 north of Richmond, VA there are tons of new units on both sides of the highway. Shortage?

Well that depends, if they are selling for less then they have too many. If they have a shortage they will sell for more. Supply and demand and all that. Did you ask about them? I have heard from many people that the ones on the lots are mostly spoked for. That is they are allready sold. Waiting for pick ups and or last minute installation of options. Plus the price of everything now has skyrocketed. So maybe the price is due to that, but i see the prices way over say a 10 percent uptick in inflation. But who really knows, all we know is that it is more $$$$. And what i described may be geographically dependent. So what i see and here may or may not be true in your area.

[ferndaleflyer]

Here in central NC, west of Raleigh on 64, there are 2 dealers about 20 mi apart that are full of new RVs. Mostly trailers. Up I-95 north of Richmond, VA there are tons of new units on both sides of the highway. Shortage?

[valhalla360]

They are only overpriced if no one is buying them.

If they are selling like hotcakes, it means they are underpriced.

[Grit_dog]

colliehauler wrote:

Durb wrote:
When you get home and resell the trailer you will probably benefit from high prices on the back end.

In the midwest RV'S are less money then out West and used ones seem more plentiful.

That was exactly my observation.
We bought a new (used) trailer this spring.
I was searching basically everywhere west of the Mississippi and a few places east.
Overpriced everywhere.
Most overpriced right here, ground zero, western WA. Based on my small sample count of scouring probably hundreds of possibilities on CL and FB for a couple months.