Just like in the housing market, during the past few years, you could buy a six figure motor home, and I don't mean $100,000, for very little down, and a loan that exceeded the market value of the coach five minutes after it was driven off the lot. Who cared? Just cash in the equity on your home's ever increasing value, keep the payments going, everything was fine. But no more. People's rising equity, whether it be in stocks, homes, land whatever, started falling and now they can't pay for their mid six figure coach let alone buy another one. As much as anything else, it was the availability of cheap, easy credit that allowed these manufacturers to build their big behemoths, and make ridiculous profits on them. The bubble is a consumption bubble, whether it be big cars, huge motor homes, fancy homes, second and third houses at the beach or the mountains, vacations in far away exotic places, etc. Maybe, for a few decades, we'll learn to live on what we make, and our economy won't be a faux economy but a real one

You got that right. Of course, we downsized & got out of debt eight years ago. Problem is, our savings are being nibbled away by descendants who weren't quite that astute.

I agree with Jim and Tere - manufacturers built bigger coaches, because people bought the danged things. Why produce a compact, handy, economical RV when folks would lay down the phantom money for Coachzilla? Well, I guess, now they know.

My guess is that jumbo DPs only a year or two old are going to hit the market (as repos) soon, at ~40% of purchase (not MSRP) price. As for me, I'll pass, as StaRV II is perfect for the Gruesome Twosome and me, and it's compact, handy, and economical...and paid for.

I wish I could say the Stagecoach was paid for but...

Is anyone keeping a running tab on which manufacturers have gone out of business and which have merely filed for bankruptcy?

I saw this coming but it still find myself being surprised when I hear about Monaco, Bluebird, Alfa, etc

quote:

Originally posted by olroy:
You got that right. Of course, we downsized & got out of debt eight years ago. Problem is, our savings are being nibbled away by descendants who weren't quite that astute.

Ha! My savings are being nibbled away by descendants who are very astute. They are so astute that they get into very expensive schools.

Over the past couple of years, Tere and I have given all of our money to grandchildren in the form of CD's. So, now we are officially paupers and can qualify for all kinds of stuff---maybe. Of course if we want or need one of those CD's, we can get it. It's really sort of nice to not have to pay income tax after working and paying for fifty years. We live on Social Security and a modest pension from my company, spend less than we ever have in our lives, and are quite happy and content--more than ever.

Information that was posted today about bluebird wanderlodge and dealers being sued. sky

Bluebird