Near record numbers of Americans are buying second homes — the kind on wheels, that is.
The Great Recession almost totaled the RV industry, but now camper trailers and motor homes are popular again. Daryn Anderson is the owner of a RV dealership south of Kansas City, and he says his sales here have roughly tripled since the bottom of the recession.
"Business has been great. Six straight record years and no end in sight," he says. "We're excited."
But seven years ago during the recession, RV sales tanked. When President Barack Obama wanted to spotlight the worst of the economy then, he actually went to the RV capital of the world — Elkhart County, Ind., where most American RVs are built.
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It's because so many lost their real homes to foreclosure. They needed something to live in, so why not go out and get a used motor home on the cheap!
ReplyDeleteBuying one as a vacation unit is not very practical, for many reasons.
ReplyDeleteFirst is the lousy gas mileage, most only get 8 to 10 MPG.
Second, Camping fees are almost as much as chain motels charge, averaging $45 a night.
Third, actual use, most workers are getting 2 weeks vacation only, this means a lot of time the very expensive motor-home is just sitting, getting older, and devaluing, unlike a vacation home.
Fourth, storage fees for the thing, a lot of cities forbid parking them in front driveways, so it has to be stored.
Fifth, There is the inconvenience of not having a car when you have set up your camp. If you tow a car, then there is even the costs of the car, the really bad gas mileage.
Believe me, I owned one for 10 years, and found it better to drive to a place and have a nice hotel room a whole lot cheaper!
I saw a Mercedes Benz model the other day with a drive-in car storage area. It was awesome. And it was way beyond my wallet's boundaries.
ReplyDelete