Here are your RV news highlights for the week of March 23-29, 2019.
Plant workers jamming up southeast Texas RV parks
Exxon’s Golden Pass LNG expansion in Jefferson County, Texas, will create close to 10,000 temporary jobs in the next five years. Already RV parks in the area are filling up. Construction has started on a new park in Port Arthur with 137 spaces, and two others are awaiting the city’s approval. Some current parks still have openings, but that’s expected to change soon.
RV park deaths ruled murder-suicide
Police have concluded that two women whose bodies were found in February in a burning RV in Largo, Florida, died as a result of a murder-suicide. On Feb. 8, the bodies of Diane Marie Morrocco, 52, and Carol Ann Benton, 50, were recovered after firefighters extinguished a blaze at the Avalon RV Resort. The investigation confirmed that Morrocco fatally stabbed Benton, then later set fire to a bedroom and died inside a bathtub from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Missouri flood victims can camp free at Missouri State Park campgrounds
Missouri residents displaced by recent flooding are eligible to stay in any Missouri State Park campground without cost. They will be allowed to stay up to 30 days. All campsites will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Info: 800-334-6946.
Winnebago announces dip in sales
Winnebago Industries reported last week its second-quarter earnings of $0.68 a share, beating the $0.58 that analysts surveyed by Bloomberg were expecting. Operating income decreased by 18% to $29 million, compared to $35 million in the second quarter of last year. More.
Boomers moving out of RV mainstream?
In an article in his RV Daily Report, editor Greg Gerber asked the question of whether Baby Boomers were still the bread and butter of the RV industry. At the recent RVX industry gathering, it appeared otherwise, he wrote. “Most of the displays and attention were focused on the needs of younger families and tech-savvy people. Even most of the photos on the GoRVing website depict younger folks and families with children. Occasionally, you’ll encounter an image of older people using an RV.” Read more.
Colorado Springs bans street RV parking
RV parking on all Colorado Springs, Colorado, streets will be illegal starting in two weeks. The ordinance prohibits RVs from parking on residential streets any longer than for “the expeditious loading and unloading of passengers or property.” Starting June 1, first-time offenders will be fined $25. The second fine will be $100, and the third, $125. Four tickets and you’re off to court. Farther west, the Berkeley, California, city council is considering a ban on overnight RV parking, and nearby Mountain View enacted such a ban on March 19.
RV park ordered to pay couple for bad gas
A Yukon small claims court judge has ordered Beaver Creek RV Park to pay an Ontario couple more than $5,000 for selling them bad gas that caused their rental vehicle to break down. Ten minutes after fueling the vehicle it “shut down and would not start,” the couple’s claim said, and had to be towed back to Whitehorse, where an inspection determined the gasoline they had pumped was actually a mixture of gas, water and diesel.
RV dealer pleads innocent to assaulting his wife
Jeffrey Couch, 51, owner of Jeff Couch’s RV Nation in Trenton, Ohio, has pleaded innocent to punching his wife multiple times and slamming her head on the paved driveway of their home. Earlier this month, a Butler County grand jury indicted Couch on two counts of felonious assault and one count each of attempted felonious assault and domestic violence.
February RV shipments continue to decline
The RV Industry Association’s (RVIA) February survey of manufacturers shows that RV shipments ended the month with 36,421 wholesale shipments, a decrease of 15.4% from the 43,038 units shipped last February. More.
Kansas RV park construction underway
Creek Side RV Resort in Hays has broken ground a quarter-mile south of Interstate 70. The park will have spots for 36 RVs with electric, water, sewer hookups and high-speed WiFi. In addition, it will have a clubhouse with restrooms and men’s and women’s showers. Owner Aaron Dreher said he hopes to have the park open by Memorial Day weekend. He says RV sites will be $30 a night.
Couple charged animal cruelty for caging dogs in filthy RV
A Westmoreland County, PA, couple is facing animal cruelty charges after police say they found a pit bull mix and Chihuahua living in filth. The dogs were locked in cages in the RV with no access to food and water. There was no heat, no electricity, no running water and no means of sewage disposal. It was just 27 degrees inside. Police said they couldn’t find the Chihuahua’s crate at first because it was covered by trash bags. Both cages were covered in urine and feces. SOURCE: KDKA-TV
A $25 fine for parking on the street may be a good deal.
I’m in an RV because social security doesn’t afford me enough to rent an apartment. Social services doesn’t consider my gross benefit low enough for any assistance. This leaves me out in a 21 year old travel trailer in the middle of the desert renting space for electric and water on someone else’s property. Any expense over my regular monthly expenses leaves me without money until the end of the month. With my mobility isues, a travel trailer has been very difficult for me to live in.
The Boomer market for RVs has to reach saturation before long; additionally, Boomers are reaching ages when they’re too decrepit to wrangle RVs. This alone will change the demographic, and the RV industry needs to start looking in new directions.
Jeff Couch is in Trenton, Ohio not Pa.
Thank you, Steve! It’s been corrected. 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com