CYBERSPACE -- A survey in last weekend’s RVtravel.com newsletter revealed that nearly two-thirds of the more than 1,500 readers who responded believe that fewer than half of today’s RV manufacturers will still be in business next January, and nearly half believe that less than 40 percent will survive.

In a February survey, 18 percent of the RV enthusiasts reported that the manufacturer of their own recreational vehicle had already gone out of business.

“With the economy as bad as it is, and with so many RV makers failing or in trouble, it’s easy to understand why RV buyers are reluctant to purchase a new RV right now,” said RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury. “Mostly, they worry that if they buy a motorhome or travel trailer from a manufacturer that then fails, they’ll have no warranty. Today, with Fleetwood Enterprises filing for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, I suspect faith in the industry is even worse.”

Yet, despite the gloomy state of the RV economy, Woodbury and many other RV experts believe that bad news for RV makers is good news for those consumers in the market for a new RV. “Dealers are so starved for business that bargains are everywhere,” he says. “It’s an incredible time to buy.”

SOURCE: RV News Service