Dear Chuck,
I’d like to comment on your concern about too many RVs being sold and not enough places to park.
•RTR (Rubber Tire Roundup) is a fledgling organization of car and van dwellers who populate the cities, living part or full time in their vehicles. They also seek out BLM land. They hold an annual rally at Quartzsite in January. It’s anticipated there will be between 500 and 1,000 in 2018. Although such living facilities may not last for more than a few years (it’s a cult with some living this way by choice and others because it’s the only way they can live), it’s a problem because it relates to RVers being targeted as “Not In My Neighborhood.”
•Small communities are starting to gear up to rid their neighborhoods of these ‘squatters’. It’s easy for residents to associate these squatters with RVers who park on the street. Both groups are lumped together.
•RV manufacturers are in the business of creating a market for their products. They have no desire to promote facilities to repair these products.
•I don’t expect RV manufacturers to decrease their profit margins to promote individuals to go into business to create an RV park. I don’t know any car manufacturer who set up car repair facilities.
Although I totally agree there is an “RV population problem” I don’t believe you will find much success when it comes to Big Business decreasing its profit margin to promote building facilities for its products. However, if you DO dangle that profit carrot in front of the RV manufacturer and IF you can nudge the federal government to donate some scenic land it just might be the way to partially solve a growing problem.
Joseph Lacey
##RVT822
I stopped reading at “Rubber Tire Roundup”. If the letter writer can’t even get the name of the event right what else is he getting wrong?
RE: Smokey Mountains Funding
When we were in the Smokies in fall, we found out one reason the park is underfunded. First, there is no entry fee. According to a park employee we asked, there is no fee, not because there are so many entrances. It is because when the park was formed, the families who gave up their lands added a clause that says basically, because I’m giving up my land for the park, park entry shall be free in perpetuity. This needs to change. The pact needs to be renegotiated with the descendants so the park can pull at least part of its own weight. Other parks in the NPS system are right now footing the bill for the Smokies, according to the park employee we spoke to. Let’s see a fair, equitable renegotiation. I’m sure the descendants of those who helped make areas like Cade’s Cove part of the park would be amenable. Or, they should be.
While the RV industry is working hard at creating profits for it’s share holders,the lion’s share of RV parks are busy jacking up prices exponentially.Everywhere I have been I see massive land yachts,toy haulers the size of a locomotive and fifth wheels so big they need a Peterbilt to pull them. No human needs this amount of space when many RV parks are incapable of parking such large rigs.The problem will only get worse as the greed disease permeates every aspect of American society..the current mess in DC is a prime example.
So….exactly who gets to decide how much space a human really “needs”? You? Just curious…….
Good point, Steve.
Greedy people have taken over the R.V. industry. Money and power rule
everything all people do! It has always been that way. it will stay that way.
We are controlled by the wealthy, we can only try to change things.
I’d like to,addeesss Joseph Lacey’s comments. First off the “squatters” a pejorative term he used, are not a cult but a ground of like minded people, like may others, who meeet to form friendships, share lessons learned and teach each other better ways to peruse their lifestyle . And just what is that lifestyle? Accordinging to one of their prominent members, Bob Wells (you can find them on YouTube and form your own opinion) it’s freedom, freedom from many of the tethers weighing down people of all economic status, freedom preached by RVrs of all stripes. Who like you, Chuck, eschew the srick and brick life for adventure, travel and reduced expense of maintaining multiple dwellings.
I find their blogs and YouTube channels refreshing and have enjoyed a sort of vicarious pleasure in following some of them. Mater of fact it’s my hope to attend Ruber Tramp Rendavue in Quartzsite beginning January 11, not in a van but my Airstream and not as as a class conscious snob but as a fellow human being interested in learning and sharing with others who like myself appreciate the the opportunity to peruse life liberty and happiness . I believe they will welcome me as a brother notwithstanding my RV choice. There are plenty of “traditional RVrs” who through self centered offensive behavior do their part to denigrate the RV life style. Be cartful pointing a finger at an other, you’ll find you’ve three fingers pointing back at you. all the best to ALL of us who seek our bliss on the road.
“… like minded people, like may others, who meeet to form friendships, share lessons learned and teach each other better ways to peruse their lifestyle…”
Sounds to me like a thowback to the Woodstock generation. I got to wonder who subsidizes the locations where these vagabonds preform their bodily functions as the last I knew, old conversion van does not have a flush toilet. Assuming these groupies like to take showers now and then, where and who is subsidizing those costs.
I’ll bet that patch of BLM land is quite the site (and smellO once these drifters move on after their annual Quartzite get together.
Wow, what an uneducated comment. You have obviously done no research on this at all, and it shows.
Mr. Lacey makes some good points about RV use and developing new RV parks. If they were profitable the RV manufactures would also be in that business. Just as a matter of curiosity, do you have any operating data for RV parks?