RV Travel Opinion: The "Service" Economy That Isn't

Above, The Beast at the Las Cruces, New Mexico KOA Kampground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Even though the RV industry is booming and people are still heading out in their RVs (despite the high cost of fuel), RV parks and campgrounds are cutting back on services.

What's causing all this?

Andy Zipser at RV Travel has posted an opinion piece on the "service" economy that isn't.

He begins with:

This summer’s outlook was already foreshadowed in January, when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said that Log Gulch Campground in Montana would be closed because of staffing issues. By early May, Michigan gave another indication when it said it had hired fewer than half of the 1,300 seasonal workers it needs to staff state parks, despite pumping wages up to $15 an hour, or 50% higher than the state’s minimum wage. Less than a month later, Michigan was pleading with campers to respect the 3 p.m. check-in time because its skeleton workforce couldn’t keep up with site clean-ups.

And now that we’re in the full swing of summer vacation season, recreational facilities and tourist-oriented businesses all across the country are struggling to stay open. Several state parks in Nebraska are cutting hours due to the worker shortage. Trolleys serving Maine’s beaches have been sidelined by a lack of drivers. Municipal swimming pools nationwide are closed or operating at reduced hours for lack of lifeguards.

To read the full article, go here. 

Does Camping World Refuse To Repair Older RVs?

Above, The Beast at the Valencia, California Camping World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To many RVers, the name Camping World means inflated prices in their stores (the Good Sam discount comes in handy to mitigate that) and poor service in their service department.

I only had to use them once (the Valencia, California Camping World) for a warranty repair to a ceiling vent that glued itself shut. The repair itself went fine, but the interaction prior to having the work done left much to be desired (they flat out lied to me about a part's arrival). I won't use them again.

RV Travel posted something that caught my eye since my motorhome is now seven years old. 

They start their article with:

You’ve heard of RV age discrimination before. There are some RV parks that simply won’t allow a rig on the property if it’s older than 10 years. But here’s a twist: How about a Camping World that would refuse to repair a motorhome on the same basis?

Foiled by policy—or not?

We got an email from a reader, Douglas R. He’s a Florida resident with a 2007 Winnebago Tour. Douglas told us that he recently needed to have a slide-out adjustment. He called the Fort Pierce, Florida, Camping World and explained his needs. He related to us that the service writer “flat out said she could not schedule anything more than 10 years old,” Douglas relates. Foiled by a Camping World company policy—or was he?

Fort Pierce is about 100 miles from where Douglas lives, but he definitely needed that slide-out fixed. So he called a different Camping World. This one, too, was more than 100 miles from Douglas’ home, in Fort Myers, Florida. This time the service writer indicated that yes, there was such a company policy—but that he would try and get an exception made for Douglas’ rig. He promised to call back after getting the override. He never did call back.

With Camping World’s apparent refuse to repair, Douglas fished around in his area for a suitable facility that could help him. He describes his area as a “motorhome wasteland. People buy condos instead.” He finally tracked down another Fort Myers RV repair facility that was willing to help. But, the wait-list has him waiting until July before the rig can be worked on. Fully frustrated, Douglas turned to us.

What did RV Travel find out when they contacted Camping World? To find out, go here.