I am aware that our last few articles have been a bit grim, courtesy of the Hymer/ Roadtrek debacle and the resultant plant closure, job losses, lawsuits, etc. Widen your scope a bit beyond our RV-related bubble and things don’t get any cheerier: emergency government shutdowns, global warming, Brexit, clashes with China, clashes with Russia, clashes with –well, you get the picture.
Scandal does make for interesting reading but after a while it starts to wear you down. It’s kind of like radiation; if you’re exposed to too much, it can start to scramble your circuits.
So today I thought we’d cleanse the palate, so to speak. A healthy dose of optimism and a raising of glasses to the possibility that things may work out just fine in the end –as they almost always seem to do.
With this in mind -and in no specific order- let us consider the following:
- Spring is coming and winter is going. It’s been a rough winter for huge swaths of the U.S., but warm weather and sunny days are on the way. We’re over the hump and the days are getting longer.
- Spring training is under way and the opening day of baseball is much closer than the last day of the World Series.
- Today’s RV is much safer, healthier and better built than those sold just ten years ago. GPS, back-up cameras, ADA features, Lane Assist, toxic-free materials, DEF systems –all are now the norm. Not only do these open up the RV world to more people, they are enabling older RVers to keep on RVing.
- Captain & Tenille will never rule the airwaves again.
- Dire predictions about “peak oil” and a planet running low on its beloved crude oil have trailed off. It turns out we’re actually swimming in the stuff –and as a result fuel prices have been relatively stable for years. The U.S. has re-emerged as one of the most prolific oil producers in the world –something no one expected twenty years ago.
- Soft RV sales last fall have resulted in a bumper crop of available stock at dealerships across the country. We’re seeing discounts we haven’t seen in years.
- Unemployment remains low, as do interest rates.
- Home values have rebounded from the subprime debacle of a decade ago. While many Americans were understandably alarmed to learn their home values had plummeted in 2007-2008, for those who stayed the course, their worth on paper has returned to previous levels –or more.
- The stock market has returned with a vengeance. Almost ten years ago to the day, the Dow Jones closed at 6,547. Today it is comfortably in the 20,000+ range, more than tripling in a decade. Like home values, for those who stayed the course, the paper losses have become paper gains. Perhaps there’s something to be said for avoiding the news.
- Our newly updated 2019 Motorhome Comparison Guide and 2019 Travel Trailer & Fifth Wheel Comparison Guide are now available at RVReviews.net in both e-book or printed book versions. With the spring RV shows on the horizon, there’s no better time to do some research and save some money.
- And, lastly, a single, simple tip that can save you thousands of dollars: DON’T BUY A 2019 RV. Seriously. Buy a 2018 from your dealer’s leftover stock and you’ll be amazed how much you’ll save. Use our buying guides to do some research and then compare a 2019 vs. the 2018. Chances are you’ll find the differences negligible (i.e. two new fabric choices, re-designed side view mirrors, etc.).
That’s if for this week, folks. Check those tire pressures if you’re hitting the road.
Happy Travels,
The RVReviews.net Team
