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RV News Update – 6-27-2020

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The News Update is about getting up-to-speed on the latest RV news that may impact you. We look at various sources and try to boil the news down to a few main items to review. First up…

Traditional forms of travel continue to be hit hard…

TSA checkpoint numbers are showing air travel is recovering very slowly. The past four weeks 2019 vs 2020 saw 69.8M vs 11.1M travelers (16.0%) trending up (19.9%) this past week. We learned from a Thor survey that 94% of people still plan to vacation in 2020, which likely means more vacations by car and RV.

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Meanwhile new and used inventory on RV Trader continues to decline. There has been a 13.5% decline of new and used RVs for sale in the past five weeks (from 156k to 135k). While there are plenty of RVs still available, the drop shows a strong increase in demand combined with slow production.

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Senate Passes Landmark Great American Outdoors Act

On June 17th the Senate passed the landmark Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) by a vote of 73-25. A similar bill is being considered in the House. RV News is reporting that the, “GAOA will invest up to $9.5 billion of nontaxpayer funds to address the infrastructure within the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other federal agencies. The bill will also fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and provide $900 million per year in investment in the public lands, parks, and trails that are the backbone of the outdoor recreation economy.”

For FY2021-FY2025, there shall be deposited into the fund an amount equal to 50% of all federal revenues from the development of oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy on federal lands and waters. (from bill summary)

Mike Happe, President and CEO of Winnebago Industries…

“Today’s passage of the Great American Outdoors Act by the Senate is an important win for not only the RV industry but the greater $778 billion outdoor recreation economy. This legislation will ensure safe and enjoyable experiences for the millions of RVers across the country by addressing the deferred maintenance backlog on public lands and waters…” (RVNews.com)

Campendium Open Status as of 6-22-2020

  • As of 6/22/2020, 11.47% of U.S. based campsites listed on Campendium.com are closed due to COVID-19, down from a high of 46% in late April.
  • Six out of fifty state park campgrounds systems are currently closed, have delayed opening, or are open to state residents only: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont

Winnebago Hike

In small travel trailer news, RV News is reporting that Winnebago Towables has obtained a utility patent for the exoskeleton structure debuted on the RV manufacturer’s new HIKE travel trailer series. The new travel trailers are made to accommodate more “active outdoor lifestyles” and the new exoskeleton is touted as being suited to carry things like bikes, kayaks and skis. That’s right, you can now tote your bikes on your RV! Most of the small floorplans look surprisingly similar to the R-Pod models (Anyone remember the Winnie Drop?). Let’s take a quick look at a few photos and floorplans.

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170S

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171DB

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172BH

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210RB

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210RB Interior

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215HS

Death of the Small R-Pod?

Taking a glance at the Forest River R-Pod Floorplan page, it is easy to see that a major decision to move the entire brand up in size has taken place over the past few years. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen the introduction of the larger Pods, the 192, 193, 195 and 196, which all come in over 22’, and this summer the 202 which will top the tape measure at close to 25’ front to back. What is missing are the smaller Pods, with only the R-Pod 171 remaining on the page as available for purchase. Given this, are we seeing the end of the small full-service travel trailers in the next few years? Quite possibly.

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My Take

I do tend to think that the trend toward larger trailers is here to stay and that it will be tough to get a new smaller full-service trailer sometime in the next several years. Some of the reason is economics, as the smaller trailers sell for less and yet require much of the same labor inputs that a slightly larger trailer requires. Also, the demand is simply waning, as more people want space and amenities (like full baths) that the smaller trailers just can’t accommodate. My first trailer was a 2016 R-Pod 171 which was a very nice unit. I would think there would always be a demand for an entry-level small and light-weight trailer for those stepping up from tents or pop-ups. I would hope companies like FR would think twice prior to killing off the 171, as I likely would never have owned any trailer if it weren’t for the availability of the R-Pod 171.

All the best in your camping endeavors!

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