You might assume the meteoric rise in gas prices has impacted recreational vehicles or RVers, right? Perhaps wrong, says USA Today.
“Hard-core RVers….will tell you an RV isn’t just a vehicle. It’s a lifestyle. And a little thing like $4-a-gallon gas isn’t going to put the brakes on a way of life,†says the newspaper about a recent convention.
Sales of RVs, which run the gamut from humble folding camping trailers to luxury motor homes, peaked at 400,000 in 2006.
The industry attributes the subsequent drop in sales to 354,000 last year to the overall economic slump rather than rising fuel costs. But with the first wave of 79 million baby boomers poised for retirement, industry experts are predicting boom times are on the horizon.
The vehicles are also pricy. Super-deluxe models can cost in the seven figures, and even more modest rigs may start in the $250,000 range. But accommodations are luxurious such amenities as 42-inch-screen TVs.
Report by David Wilkening
