Posts Tagged ‘Winnebago’

Forest City, Iowa — They’ve been through hell, so a little heat and humidity won’t slow the MIL-WITS.

They’re military veterans, owners of Winnebago and Itasca motor homes, and they’re having their usual big ol’ time this week at the 42nd-annual Winnebago-Itasca Travelers (WIT) grand national rally.

“We love it,” said Jack Fraker of Winter Haven, Fla., a retired Navy veteran who served as the first MIL-WITS president when the club’s charter was approved in 1991. “It’s the biggest and best special interest group in WIT.

The club held its national rally last week in Forest City — playing reveille at daybreak and taps in the evening using CDs and a P.A. system.

Members provided the color guard for the opening ceremony parade, the flag-raising and a military services event at the WIT Rally — and they’ll do the same for the closing ceremonies.

The club, which includes veterans from the U.S. and Canada, is celebrating its 20th WIT Rally. There are about 40 motor homes involved.

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SOUTH BEND — Volatile gasoline prices could hamper the recreational vehicle industry’s attempts to recover from a deep downturn caused by the recession because sales of the big ticket items are so dependent on consumer confidence, industry executives and analysts say.

“High fuel prices and rapid fluctuation of fuel prices are not good for consumer confidence,” said Mark Bowersox, Recreation Vehicle Indiana Council executive director. “When you see fuel go up 10 or 15 cents a week or 50 cents in six weeks, that’s a concern.”

Morningstar analyst David Whiston, who focuses on Winnebago, said uncertainty in fuel costs, not the actual cost, is the biggest concern.

“I think it’s more the volatility that would cause consumers to stay out of the showroom than the level itself,” he said.

He points to the fact that high gas prices don’t keep people from buying RVs in Europe, where gas prices are higher.

Phil Ingrassia, vice president for communications for the RV Dealers Association, said it’s too early to say whether gas prices will have an impact on RV sales because it’s impossible to predict how long gas prices will stay erratic. He said he isn’t aware of any change in the forecast in RV sales, but said stability would help.

“When people feel secure about their jobs that bodes well. As the economy improves, so do RV sales,” he said.

Bowersox said because recreational vehicles are a discretionary purchase, people look for stability before making such a large purchase. He said gas prices are more likely to change how people use their RVs.

“People might take fewer trips or stay closer to home, but the demand is still there for the product and they will adjust,” he said. “If gas prices stabilize, the market should look real good into April, May and June. If they bounce around like a yo-yo, then that’s a cause for concern going forward.”

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – American families are ready to hitch up their trailers and tow the RV industry out of its worst stretch in nearly two decades.

The industry was driven into the ditch last year by the Great Recession. Sales plunged, plants closed and thousands of jobs were cut as orders for recreational vehicles dropped to their worse level since 1991.

Now, RV makers such as Winnebago are starting to turn profits and have begun to hire. And dealers are ordering more RVs for their showrooms. This year, shipments of RVs ranging from entry-level pop-ups to spacious motor homes are expected to hit their highest level since 2007, when the economic downturn began.

The upswing is a sign that somewhat looser credit, stable fuel prices and improved consumer confidence are inspiring Americans to buy more RVs.

Typical RV buyers are people between 35 and 54 with disposable income. They’re starting to buy again, say industry leaders and dealers who convened at a trade show in Louisville this week. But a growing share of RV sales come from families choosing less expensive towable RVs, including folding camping trailers, or pop-ups. Those towables are smaller and cost a fraction of the price of amenity-filled motor homes favored by older travelers.
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