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Old 12-17-2006, 12:53 PM   #1
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How do they afford it?

As I sit here, looking out my window in the Burro.. it is check out time at the rv park. This is about the only time you see "people". They come out to take down the rig. (Then they dissapear again, like aliens into a space ship)

Easily, half the folks here have young children. The parents are younger than I am. I know what these things cost.. how can they manage, even on a GOOD income, to pay for thier rigs and raise a family?

Maybe they are borrowing Mom and Dads retirement rig?

Or.. like the guy in the commercial says "I am in debt up to my eyeballs".

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Old 12-17-2006, 12:57 PM   #2
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How do they afford it?
Here you go....



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Old 12-17-2006, 02:33 PM   #3
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We were amazed by how much of that we saw in California. Between the truck and the fifthwheel trailer with 6 slideouts, there was plenty tied up in their units and here they were camping for the weekend in a paved parking lot in downtown LA with storebought firewood, a strip of grass about a foot wide and neighbors within arms reach. Not only how can they afford it but why would they want to? It sure doesn't look like fun to me.
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Old 12-17-2006, 02:39 PM   #4
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I always get a kick out of seeing people with $200,000 motorhomes spending the night at Wal-Mart! I guess the $20 they saved by avoiding the campgrounds will help with the $300 gas fill up in the morning.
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Old 12-17-2006, 08:46 PM   #5
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Maybe it's a geographic thing...

I see young families in big rigs here - but older ones that aren't gonna really cost all that much.

I can think of two explanations though:

1) They're renting (although for what it costs to rent one of those for a weekend you could probably buy a REAL nice used 16-footer!).

2) When you live somewhere where incomes can apparently support a median home price is $500,000 that 100,000 rig isn't gonna dent your budget THAT badly (considering you can finance the thing as if it's a second home - maybe even rolling it into your main mortgage).

Course - prices aside, I still don't see the appeal of them. Just aren't for me.

Mike
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Old 12-18-2006, 09:26 PM   #6
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How do they afford it?
Interesting Article
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For many now hitting the road, the wide-eyed luxury of today's RVs is "a financial accident waiting to happen," warns Dave Gricunas, an RV salesman turned appraiser. Much like the McMansion craze that accompanied the recent housing boom, he says, [b]low interest rates and easy credit have made it tempting for novice buyers to get in over their heads.
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Old 12-18-2006, 10:44 PM   #7
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The only hope for so many of these young families, and unfortunatley a lot of older families, is help from places like http://www.daveramsey.com/

Get his book, TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER and enroll in one of the classes offered at churches and other instutions and learn how to truly manage money and get out of debt.

Good solid sensible advice.

Debt and our ''payment oriented'' society is our doom.

Sorry about the soapbox. Just a real hot button with me.

Dad
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Old 12-19-2006, 12:55 AM   #8
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Here's another Hot Button: it's the young wife's mommy and daddy paying for all the extras.

I have seen this many times, but here's a story that illustrates it. My co-worker, when we were both in our 20s, was talking at lunch how she and her hubby had such a HUGE cash down payment for their first house, the real estate agent kept showing them mansions. "Oh, no," she told the realtor, "We don't want a big mortgage, we have this HUGE down payment so our mortgage payments will be lower."

Hmm, interesting: two smart, hard-working young people, that is great for them.

Then, a few years later, when I got to know her better, I asked her, "How did you end up with that HUGE cash down payment for your first house?" She said, rather breezily, "Oh, we sold some land we had."

Okay, makes sense.

Then years later, when I was looking to buy, I asked her, "You know that land you sold to get your first house? How did you get that?"

"My parents gave it to me right after I got married."

Okay, THAT makes sense.

[I am going to my room now.]
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Old 12-20-2006, 08:08 AM   #9
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We were once there.

We bought a 1970 26ft Avion when it was 12 years old and our kids were 3 and 5. The old gentleman that was selling it was from Texas, visiting a daughter in NW Washington and had heart problems about 3 years before. The trailer had been sitting under fir trees since that time, and being from Texas he hadn't thought to winterize it. So it was covered with moldy debris, pipes burst, bees nests in several places, etc.

He had been trying to sell at a reasonable price for a clean one for over a year and found no takers. I offered about half, all the cash I had at the time, and got the trailer. In several months it was better than new. Over the next 10 years we endured comments like: "You must have had a rich grandparent that passed away.", etc., from folks occupying Shastas, Aristocrats, etc.

BTW we still have the Avion. Its last service was a mobile dorm for our son during his college years. Still looks nice. Needs some cleaning up, since it hasn't been used in several years since we bought the Scamp.

So I'm not automatically put off by young folks that have nice stuff. Some are snooty, but I've found most are interesting folks; ambitious, educated, articulate and have a financial wisdom that provides a few nice things to grace their lives. Actually, its all about choices that are made throughout life. In my case, why camp in a Shasta, when you can camp in an Avion for the same money and a little elbow grease!

Our Scamp came into our lives in a similar manner.

Loren
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Old 12-20-2006, 08:42 AM   #10
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I know a family that has three children. Two boys and a girl. It was extremely expensive for them to take trips whether they flew or drove. Meals, motels and other expenses had gotten prohibitive. They got an excellent deal on a good motorhome. This not only has allowed them to spend more time together, it has given the the opportunity to do more "family" things. Not to mention how convenient and cost effective it is to be able to go see grandma (who lives in a retirement home and has no place for them to stay). Perhaps for some, it is a luxury, but for them it has been wonderful.

Regardless what families camp or vacation in, I'm just thrilled to death to see them all out doing something together.

... and no, they don't come from money nor do they have a large income. They are comfortable and do enjoy a good life, but they are working people.
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Old 12-20-2006, 10:09 AM   #11
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I know a family that has three children. Two boys and a girl. It was extremely expensive for them to take trips whether they flew or drove. Meals, motels and other expenses had gotten prohibitive. They got an excellent deal on a good motorhome. This not only has allowed them to spend more time together, it has given the the opportunity to do more "family" things. Not to mention how convenient and cost effective it is to be able to go see grandma (who lives in a retirement home and has no place for them to stay). Perhaps for some, it is a luxury, but for them it has been wonderful.

Regardless what families camp or vacation in, I'm just thrilled to death to see them all out doing something together.

... and no, they don't come from money nor do they have a large income. They are comfortable and do enjoy a good life, but they are working people.
Suz, how wonderful. You said it ALL! When my boys were small I bid on a repo at a bank and got the motor home for $500. It was trashed but we fixed it up. The time spent camping at the lake with my kids & their friends is something no one can ever take away.
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Old 12-20-2006, 04:44 PM   #12
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A similar story to Loren's...

In 1987 I went through a divorce. I needed a place to live and a friend had a 1970 Airstream Safari 23' trailer. It was missing the toilet, and the water heater was shot. The upholstery was there, but wasn't great. The rest of the trailer was sound. I bought it for $2,000 from him and lived in it for nearly a year.

After I met my current wife and married we kept the trailer for a number of years. We were both in our early 30s and tended to get the same treatment as Loren. We used to laugh about it. Even though I've had and used several Airstreams now, I've never paid over $24k for any of them, even our 34' Limited tri-axle. I used to really laugh at the "rich guy" comments I got from the stickie set with THAT trailer! I paid half again that much for our new Bigfoot 25' and wonder what I was thinking... (I really DO know what I was thinking, and don't regret it one bit... but it's still a lot of money to me... although a pittance when compared to a Prevost motorhome...)

Folks' perceptions are pretty interesting.

Roger
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Old 12-20-2006, 09:40 PM   #13
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One theme that runs through most of this is that the parents, no matter how they've done it, are creating fabulous memories with and for their children. What a wonderful gift. We shouldn't lose site of that.

It's easy to get carried away and make judgements. All except me, that is, because I'm just such a wonderful and perfect guy.

Merry Christmas to all, by the way.

Keith
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Old 12-20-2006, 10:08 PM   #14
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(It's easy to get carried away and make judgements. All except me, that is, because I'm just such a wonderful and perfect guy)


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Old 12-21-2006, 08:05 AM   #15
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It's easy to get carried away and make judgements. All except me, that is, because I'm just such a wonderful and perfect guy.

Merry Christmas to all, by the way.

Keith
Keith, your overwhelming sense of humility stands as a beacon and an example to us all.

Merry Christmas!

Roger
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Old 12-21-2006, 09:45 AM   #16
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As Tom T. Hall sang, ''to know me is to love me''

That even made me sick.

Merry Christmas and a Fabulous new year to all of you.

Seriously, it's a real shame that we all, everyone on this Forum, can't get together for a wonderful big party.

If my 2 nd ship ever comes in (I gave up on the first one) I'll fly everyone one of us to a great spot.

Best Regards,

Keith
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