Fuel prices fail to stall RV sales

OTTAWA - Chris and Feilan Xia Baker like their freedom, are planning to have children, and have aging parents who can't really sleep in tents anymore.

That explains the Ottawa couple's presence Saturday - under constant rain and grey skies - at an RV sale outside Scotiabank Place, where they were scoping out small trailers they can hitch up and hit the road.

"The fuel consumption is going to be a bit high, but nothing like those monstrosities," said Chris, 35, looking toward a section filled with luxury motorhomes and converted buses with six-figure price tags. "The tent trailer is about as domesticated as I want to get."

"The motorhomes sales are still strong," he said yesterday, standing inside a big tent filled with staff and prospective buyers hunched over computers and forms. "People are buying a seasonal campground pass and parking there, instead of driving from place to place."

For many, concern over gas prices is offset by the expensive reality of waterfront cottage property, Mr. Nelson said, adding that since nearly all RVs are manufactured in the United States, the Canadian dollar's rise has brought prices down. Read more about rv sales...

High Gas Prices Hitting Boat, RV Sales

Gas prices have made getting to and from work or school difficult, but they're also hurting those gassing up motor homes, boats and other recreational vehicles.

CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports at $5 a gallon, it takes about $750 to fill up the Allegro bus, making it a pretty slow seller at Rick's RV Center in Shorewood.

"For the larger motorhomes, it is a tough market," said Rick's general manager Jeff Pilon. "Like I said, the pool of buyers has definitely shrunk down."

And it's not just motor home sales that are being affected by the skyrocketing cost of fuel. Boat sales are also being squeezed.

Cathy Santogrossi of Fox Valley Marine said sales are down, but they have not plunged.

A study by Michigan State's Marine Research Center found that "1 percent of boat owners didn't plan to use their boat in 2008 due to the high cost of fuel." Read more...

Have RV, will travel; but probably not as much as before

High gas prices crimp RV lifestyle

Recreational vehicle owners and dealers and Oregon campgrounds all feel the pinch

When Hubert and Barbara Walsh retired seven years ago, their first RV trips from Florida to Oregon cost $390 one way. Last month, it cost $1,180.

The Walshes have made the RV journey from their home in Tallahassee, Fla., to Hubert's mother's place in Tigard at least twice a year since they retired in 2001.

Now, the couple say they may have to cut back their visits to once a year or come up with a different mode of travel.

Evidence of the RV industry's slide is everywhere -- from recent bankruptcies of two RV builders in California and Washington to the sparsely filled RV campgrounds along the Oregon coast over Memorial Day weekend. RV dealerships across the state are dealing with a glut of unsold units.

Unstoppable gasoline prices have not only put off many would-be buyers, they also have braked many who already own or forced them to take some detours in their habits. Read More...