RV Prices: Up Or Down In 2023?

Above, dry camping at Chiriaco Summit, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Will RV prices go up or down in 2023?

That is the question posed by RV Travel in an article posted yesterday. For those thinking about buying a new or used RV, the article may be of importance to one's decision-making process.

They begin with:

It is not possible to predict with certainty what will happen to RV prices in 2023. Many factors can affect the price of RVs, such as supply and demand, economic conditions, consumer confidence, and overall market trends. That said, most RV industry experts expect that prices of new RVs will continue to rise in 2023, in part because of inflation. Resale values of used RVs dropped significantly in late 2022, so now might be a good time to buy “used” rather than “new.”

Sales of recreational vehicles have been growing in recent years, with volume increasing steadily, reaching all-time records of more than a half-million units shipped to dealers in 2021.

Ultimately, the direction of RV prices in 2023 will depend on a wide range of variables that are difficult to predict. It is always a good idea to do your own research and consider all of the factors that may affect RV prices before making a purchasing decision.

To read more, go here. 

RVing In The Desert Southwest

Above, The Beast dry camping at the Chiriaco Summit Campground behind the Gen. Patton Memorial Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Many people from the northern parts of the country head down into the Southwest during the winter months in their RVs. These people are known as "snowbirds".

While the climate in the southwestern deserts is warmer, there are some things that people should be aware of.

A couple experienced wintering in the deserts of the Southwest and have learned a few things and Do It Yourself RV has their story.

It begins with:

This is my third winter living full-time with my husband in our RV. Like most full-timers, we choose to spend the colder months in a warm climate. For the first two years, that meant wintering in the Desert Southwest. 

As native New Englanders, we didn’t have experience living in this part of the United States.

Our expectations included blowing sand and scorching temperatures. We also thought of all the rattlesnakes and giant scorpions that would surely be around every corner.

Thankfully, those expectations turned out to be mostly wrong (well…there was that one rattlesnake). Instead, we found a comfortable climate, perfect for our RVing adventures. 

Since our first winter there, we’ve learned a lot about RVing in the desert. Here are the top five most surprising things we figured out along the way.

To read more, go here. 

Boondocking List of Essentials

Above, boondocking at the Chiriaco Summit Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is rare that I dry camp (a.k.a. boondocking) in The Beast. But if I have to (such as attending a clampout), I am prepared.

Dry camping is where a camper solely relies on the onboard power supply and fresh water tank. But there are things that are made for dry camping, some of which are essential.

What they are is covered in an article in Do It Yourself RV. The items (ten of them) are considered to be essential.

They begin with:

There are lots of ways to camp in an RV. You can stay at a fancy resort with a heated pool and an onsite golf course, a state park with wooded sites and easy access to hiking trails, a KOA with lots of activities for the kids, or you could leave all that behind and strike out on your own for the ultimate RV experience — boondocking. 

The term boondocking is used loosely to describe RVing outside of a campground with no hook-ups. It is commonly done in national forests, on BLM land, and occasionally in parking lots. 

Boondocking requires a sense of adventure, a willingness to conserve resources, and a desire to enjoy nature. It also requires a few extra items that you might not already have in your RV.

To read more and see that the ten essentials are, go here. 

Dealing With Boondocking Emergencies

Above, dry camping at the Chiriaco Summit Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There are three things that are necessary when boondocking in your RV: water, power and heat. What would you do if one of these fails?

RV Life has some suggestions on how to deal with each.

They begin with:

The freedom and self reliance an RV offers is part of the attraction for many people that have joined the RV lifestyle. You can go where you want, when you want, and take care of your own needs along the way. Self reliant RVers have no problem camping without hookups. Many enjoy the benefits and a bit of pride conquering the challenges that come with surviving off the grid. 

However, the perfect RV has yet to be created, and things can – and sometimes do – go awry. 

Whether you’re boondocking in the desert, dry camping at a remote forest service campground, or spending a night in a Walmart parking lot, you’ll want to have a backup plan when something in the RV fails to function.

To read more, go here.

RV Abbreviations

Above, The Beast at Chiriaco Summit Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Do you know what FHU or O/N means?

If not, an article in RV Life will tell you. They are just a couple of common, but important, abbreviations that seasoned RVers know.

The article starts with:

The nomadic lifestyle is an alphabet soup of RVing abbreviations and acronyms. Knowing what letter groupings represent can mean the difference between a quiet Walmart camping stay or a door knock at 3am. If you’re new to RVing, take three seconds to familiarize yourself with these common abbreviations.

To read more, go here. 

5 Important Features Needed For Dry Camping

Above, The Beast while dry camping at Lake Cachuma with E Clampus Vitus. Photo by Armand.

During my cross-country trip to Metropolis, Illinois and back, the only time I dry camped (that is, camping without water, electric or sewer hook-ups) was one night in a Missouri roadside rest area.

The Beast is self-contained with good battery capacity, a power generator and large enough fresh water and grey and black water holding tanks, so dry camping is not a problem. I've done it a few times during the past two years at Yosemite and Joshua Tree National Parks, clamp-outs and at Chiriaco Summit Campground.

Above, Yosemite National Park's North Pines Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

But, it one is looking for a new or used RV or want to modify a RV to use it for dry camping, RV Life has an article by Dave Helgeson on the five important features you'll need.

It begins with:

When I conduct my dispersed camping seminars I am typically asked what is the best RV for dry camping. While some types of RVs are more friendly for this type of RVing than others, the question really should be, “what should I look for in a RV if I want to use it for dry camping?”

Above, Chiriaco Summit Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

10 Must-Haves for the Brand New RVer

Above, The Beast at the dry campground behind the Gen. Patton Museum at Chiriaco Summit. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The latest edition of Winnebago Industries WinnebaGoLife showed up in my new email box and it contains several links to different stories at Winnebago's blog.

One is "GoGear: 10 Must-Haves for the Brand New RVer". I have about nine of them.

They begin their article with:

So, you bought a new RV! Fantastic!  Now what… 

At least that’s what we asked ourselves once we made our first big RV purchase. Between reading all the manuals and trying to learn the systems, purchasing a new rig can get overwhelming…we remember the excitement AND the sleepless nights very well. One thing we quickly learned is that the RV itself wasn’t to be our last purchase before hitting the road. There were a few things we needed to make our RVing experience run smoothly and efficiently.  To save you some of the hassle of figuring it out yourselves, we put together this list. Here are 10 things you’ll want to pick up right away!

To read more, go here. 

Chiriaco Summit Campground Review

Above, a sign pointing the way to the campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My review of the Chiriaco Summit Campground is up and there's now a link to it.

RV Park Reviews fixed the glitch and it can be accessed by going here.

Above, the General Patton Memorial Museum from the campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The campground is located just behind the General Patton Memorial Museum and it is free. It is a dry camp, meaning there's no hook-ups, toilets, electric or water at the campground. The only thing besides dirt pads are rock campfire rings. It is just fine for those in self-contained RVs.

It is handy if one is planning to visit the museum or just want to pull in to snooze for the night.