Sign that the COVID camper surge is ending?

[chriscowles]

I just got a cold call from RV Wholesalers. I am a former customer and they may have been cleaning up their records. But it seems unlikely to me that they'd waste time soliciting business if customers were buying as much as they were last year.

[Kimber45]

Waste their time? at currant prices they are going to sell everything they can.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by Kimber45

Waste their time? at currant prices they are going to sell everything they can.

Prices are what they are because of high demand. If demand is as high as what drove prices up, why would they have to look for customers?

[Kimber45]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

Prices are what they are because of high demand. If demand is as high as what drove prices up, why would they have to look for customers?

They have a pain in the ass sales manager trying to make a bonus?

[NJKris]

“The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.” - Gordon Gekko

[coney]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

Prices are what they are because of high demand. If demand is as high as what drove prices up, why would they have to look for customers?

Because that is what good sales people who work on commision do

[rvflyer57]

That’s a hard one to know, but typically in sales you start making more calls when the incoming phone calls go silent. Experienced sales people know when the free train rides is coming to an end and have to be proactive. Anecdotal on my part, but a large dealer in the Central Valley of California had very few units on their expansive lot during the summer. I passed by several months ago and it was packed. Passed by a few weeks ago and it is still packed. Are incoming units keeping up with sales, or did they overshoot demand? I’m guessing the latter.

[wildmanabe]

Dealer supply plays a big part. Just drove from Fla to New England Via Truck.
saw a lot of dealerships on way. Some were jam packed with RV's. some look like deserted parking lots. My niece bought a tt 2 yrs ago. just sold it few months back for 5K over what she paid.

[Nick Danger]

Originally Posted by NJKris

“The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.” - Gordon Gekko

Kris,
Just making sure you're aware that statement is from a movie character in "Wall Street"?

About the OP - I've seen a lot more New pickup trucks on the lots lately also. I'm starting to think that the"powers that be" are trying to put Pandora back in her box before it costs them more than they expected.

The other observation I have is that inflation always slows down "discretionary spending". Costs have skyrocketed so fast and much that those who had the money already got what they wanted and have cut expenditures going forward. The average Joe can't afford it now if he wants it.

Just my thoughts that I'm sure some "self-proclaimed expert" will dispute.

[Backcountryboondocker]

I believe (Not an expert!) the camper craze is slowing down because A; The overwhelming majority of people who were/are buying rv’s are your normal weekend warriors middle class families and now with school back in session plus being winter they aren’t so gung-ho on the camping aspect right now. RV sales have always been a seasonal thing, just like boats and snow machines. And B; The prices have pushed a lot of people out of affording it now. I bought a new TT last year right in the middle of the craze, but I didn’t overpay too dearly. (Paid a couple thousand extra but that was because the dealer had it in stock. Might have saved myself that money if I choose to play the waiting till it gets built game, but I still might not have the trailer yet, plus the extra price increases!) Now… the same trailer costs atleast $4,000 more. If I was looking now for one I wouldn’t buy it for that price.

The prices rose so much and so fast because everyone who was wanting/thinking of getting a RV saw the shortage and thought “oh crap I better get it now before there are none, or before they get too expensive” and rushed out and got one, which created the supply and demand effect domino and has led us to now. Kinda like the pandemic toilet paper “shortage”; The mere thought that they could be gone and BOOM, everyone rushes to get it no matter the price.

I think the demand for RV’s is still there, but now many people see the new prices and go “Yeah….. Nope.” The manufacturers and dealers I think have overplayed their hand with their prices. And a RV isn’t like a vehicle, if a RV breaks down or whatnot many people probably will let it rot in their driveway before rushing out and buying another one immediately. Your vehicle kicks the bucket… You’ll probably be on the phone with your local dealership as soon as they open the doors for the day. And you’ll be more inclined to pay the now higher price for it.

[mbbutler]

Tru Dis!

[831 BHDS Flagstaff 2015]

My opinion two things that could slow the demand for camper sales. With everyone new getting a camper hard to find a camping spots are full. You used to find a spot 1-2 months out now have to get a spot 6 months out at least and in my area camp grounds are not expanding. And they are going up in rates just like everything else. Fuel is another expense that has doubled. What used to cost you 100.00 now cost 200.00.

[Splashes3]

I agree with RVFlyer57....they have overshot. I believe the stock market saying about past performance not being an indicator of future performance is happening in the RV industry. Most folks cannot afford a new unit every other year.....and so those that bought during the rush are no longer looking again, those that didn't, for the most part, are not too happy with today's prices. IMO.

[NJKris]

Kris,
Just making sure you're aware that statement is from a movie character in "Wall Street"?

Yes Nick, I still find it an amusing quote and scene!

[GreenImp]

I won't make any claims as to why, but I can tell you that the RV dealer lots along I5 here in Oregon are jam packed full, and they were basically empty this time a year or so ago.

[NJKris]

Last summer I was in heart of RV construction country. Their lots were jammed packed with RVs. I found out they couldn't find people who wanted work transporting them was the reason for the back-up.

[Sharon455]

Interesting topic. Last Friday someone knocked on our door wanting to know if we wanted to sell our 2010 Class C. (Barely visible behind our fence gates.) He told John that he would pay us $30.000 in cash as he pulled a roll out of his pocket. After being told we weren't interested he kept trying to make a deal. After he left I did a quick web search and found two 2011 models of the same rig for sale in Reno and Nashville. Each was asking $65K + for theirs. Still not interested, but wouldn't that make a nice down payment on a Dynamax?

Every 30 days or so we get an email from our dealer offering to pay cash if we ever decide we want to sell.

[ChrisParise]

My rv dealers lot in Northern Illinois has a half dozen Class A's and 4 Class C's sitting on the lot, most are 2022's, a few 2021's. The Fords all have the new powertrains.

Half the new inventory has been sitting there since late summer. Most prices are discounted 20-25% off of msrp

[TowPro]

I went past "crazy (lazy) days" in the villages last week and they had a bunch of trailers on the lot, which was pretty empty not to long ago.

[llr]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Last summer I was in heart of RV construction country. Their lots were jammed packed with RVs. I found out they couldn't find people who wanted work transporting them was the reason for the back-up.

I heard somewhere that in addition to the driver shortage many were moved to storage lots due to part shortages, not unlike the auto industry with the chip shortage