Roadtrek Site Updated

[gerrym51]

Originally Posted by booster

It is kind of a lesson in futility to try to predict what a specialized, privately held, company like ARV will turn out to be. They apparently share resources and ownership with other businesses whose future could be intimately tied to ARV's future. All the intertangling probably helps the credit, cash flow, and a host of other business stuff that would be huge issues for other startups.

I don't think we will have any idea what is happening until it actually happens.

actually Oliver trailers that wincrasher has is a bunch of family owned companies that closed the rv division during the downturn then restarted.

[Davydd]

Sticking to Class Bs, since the 2008 downturn, Thor Four Winds dropped out completely, venerable Winnebago dropped their B for a year, Leisure Travel Vans has suspended building Class Bs and Great West Vans may be down for good. Great West Vans was sold. Roadtrek was sold. Leisure Travel Vans was sold. Supposedly sales are up this year. It seems clear the Class B market being slightly less than 7% of the motorhome market and less than 1% of the overall RV market is not exactly robust and nimble.

Does the Canadian dollar to American dollar disparity jeopardize Canadian companies? Or should it help them? Winnebago is clearly eating everyone's lunch right now and it seems the other companies don't have the staying power to compete in price with them. That means they are close to the edge margin wise.

What compounds all this is the Baby Boomer generation has been fueling retirement for a solid 5 years now but the RV market has not made serious inroads capturing their dollars. My generation and older gave RVs a more robust growth spurt.

[tbirdman]

But is the overall RV market growing. The B market may be a market that will never have high growth but always be a niche market.

[wincrasher]

The Canadian dolllar falling has really hurt them and fueled the price increases. Winnebago's been able to sit back on their margins and just watch the delta just grow, and their market share with it.

[gerrym51]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Sticking to Class Bs, since the 2008 downturn, Thor Four Winds dropped out completely, venerable Winnebago dropped their B for a year, Leisure Travel Vans has suspended building Class Bs and Great West Vans may be down for good. Great West Vans was sold. Roadtrek was sold. Leisure Travel Vans was sold. Supposedly sales are up this year. It seems clear the Class B market being slightly less than 7% of the motorhome market and less than 1% of the overall RV market is not exactly robust and nimble.

Does the Canadian dollar to American dollar disparity jeopardize Canadian companies? Or should it help them? Winnebago is clearly eating everyone's lunch right now and it seems the other companies don't have the staying power to compete in price with them. That means they are close to the edge margin wise.

What compounds all this is the Baby Boomer generation has been fueling retirement for a solid 5 years now but the RV market has not made serious inroads capturing their dollars. My generation and older gave RVs a more robust growth spurt.

thor owns airstream-airstream makes B's

[booster]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

The Canadian dolllar falling has really hurt them and fueled the price increases. Winnebago's been able to sit back on their margins and just watch the delta just grow, and their market share with it.

I would think it would be the other way around. With high US dollar, the parts they buy here are more expensive, but they break even when they sell them back in a van. All their Canada incurred expenses would get less expensive compared to the dollar, so the would come out ahead on that part of it.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by gerrym51

thor owns airstream-airstream makes B's

I know Thor owns Airstream but I didn't mention them as nothing has changed with them other than their dropping the Chevy model. Thor also had Four Winds which they dropped.

[Scottbaldassari]

"But no RV should be considered a wise "investment"."

I think there is your summation for this conversation....

There is no use arguing, some are obviously more expensive and luxurious than others. We all have are own "value" thresholds, and they are all good. I love the RV conversations; from the guy who poops in a bucket in a van by the river, to the ridiculous rolling marble mansions with home theater, it is all tons of fun. lol