Lordy! Don't know who wrote this and don't care, but it sure sounds like he/she wrote it fto make the boss feel good! Must be looking for a raise. What percentage of RVers are retired? What percentage of those retirees have unlimited recreational $$?

WOW...That seems to have been a big project but it appears ya done good! My question is how did you get the dash to pop up like that? I'm thinking I may need that bit of knowledge for a radio project.

It would be interesting to get an accurate report of RV dealer sales. I know in my area from private parties I'm seeing lots of RVs for sale and have seen some very good prices in motor homes. If gas does edge towards $10 a gallon RV sales will probably trickle down to nearly nothing. The manufacturing and delivery cost of RVs (along with everything else) will also increase. Does the RVIA think their manufacturing members are going to simply absorb that cost?

Your aft looking picture of floor plan of 2010 avanti 3106 depicts a floor plan i am not familiar with for an avanti? Was this a special configuration?

Our Avanti3106 has similar sounds. I believe it has to do with the plastic panel connections on driver's side.

I really enjoyed the article. Very well written.
Thanks

I happen to agree with the comments by RVIA. When I started driving years ago the price was $.33 gal in Canada. I wondered if I would afford to drive once it got to $.50. Now it is over $5. here and I am still driving. Most RVers travel less than 5,000m annually and I don't see us giving up our rigs any time soon. If I spend $1,000 on fuel this year and it goes up by 10% next year I won't stay home for the sake of $100. We will plan a little better, maybe take shorter trips but we won't stop for the sake of a few extra dollars.

The RVIA Spokesman must moonlight as a saleman for some RV Park Timeshare outfit. Same twisted logic. I didn't buy the park mambership and I don't buy the $10.00/gal gas. If it comes to ten buck gas I'll buy a foreclosed lot and park the rig on it and call it a summer cabin.

The fine folk at RVIA may be right to make that statement as they sat under the canopy of their 575 thousand dollar motorhomes. For them that is probably a fact, but then there are the rest of us. The ones that have retired early and are eagerly looking forward to seeing this country in a way not too many understand, including those folks sitting under the shade canopy of a 575 thosand dollar motorcoach. Our adventures, the rest of us, are governed by finance and where we go and what we do is always a financial issue. Not that we're poor, we're just not able to play at $10.00 a gallon like we can at $2.75. They just can't see it or us.

Great information! Thank you! Traveling all over a LOT, we are often in places with limited or no TV reception. Had Direct TV for a while, but it just wasn't worth it. Looking to upgrade our batwing for better and more reliable reception, particularly in more remote places. Your article with pictures and great narration doesn't make it seem "easy" but makes it "doable!" Thanks -- now to get my husband's buy-in!!

Never say never-- I started motorhoming in 1971, gas was $.30/gal, soon it went to $.60/gal, then doubled again to $1.20, needless to say it doubled again to $2.40, looks like may double again to $5.80. Does doubling again sound impossible ? I say no, it'll happen, the question is when ?

They are just like the [Moderator Edit] media, and our president, they believe that if they say it enough times then people will believe & accept it, don't accept it

I would be hard pressed to ever take anything seriously that RVIA ever said after making such a lame brain statement. Do these people actually think they have the pulse and best interests of the RV industry.

You have only to look at the size of EU caravans and motor homes and to look at the rise in popularity of Teardrop Trailers here in the US to see how wrong they are. We bought a Tear for this very reason, anticipating gas prices.

This is a JOKE right? Maybe he should see how many "rich" folks purchased a custom conversion bus shell last year (2011). Let me inform him 60 units that's all, and that was before diesel hit $5.00 in some areas. People don't have their houses as ATMs anymore (down 40%) Foreclosures are up and short sales are becoming the norm. 23% of the population are unemployed, 43 million are on food stamps, wheat is up 74% and I could go on. NO the only one who can afford not one but two PREVOSTs is our President, and if it was his money he wouldn't buy them. deSanford

RVIA is clueless, whistling in the wind, and has obviously totally forgotten what the impact of fuel prices has ALREADY done to the RV industry, as well as related peripheral industries!

So they think LOTS more of the same will have little or no effect? Only if your name is Donald Trump or other similar rich folks - who most likely don't RV anyway!

probably one of the stupidest things i have seen in a long time.

I think the RVIA is waaaay too optimistic. When gas hit $4 back in 2008, a bunch of RV manufacturers went out of business. The ones who are left are probably stronger and most of them have added smaller RVs to their lines, so they may last a little longer; but I don't know how many manufacturers can stand another hit like we had before.

I think many RVers have already begun to curtail their travel plans and that means there won't be as many buyers. I think the threshold for trouble for the RV industry is somewhere between $4 and $5 a gallon, not $10.

I wonder what the RVIA is smoking?