Posted by Shawn Friesen | Vice President of RVT.com on Apr 10, 2009
Unlike the old stereotype, today’s RVers aren’t silver haired grandpas and grannies headed to Florida to while away their retirement years. Since RVing took off in the 1960s, millions of people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds have embraced the RV lifestyle as a relaxing, convenient and economical way to travel. Today more than 8.2 million Americans own RVs, according to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. The typical RV owner is married, middle-aged and spends 26 days a year traveling nearly 4,500 miles in his RV.
Baby Boomers are projected to herald a new boom time in the RV industry. The single largest population group in the U.S., the Boomer generation will bring 350,000 potential new RV customers to the table over the next two decades. More physically active, healthier and more mobile than previous generations, Boomers are already embracing the RV lifestyle, creating a growing customer base that bodes well for the future of the RV industry.
While the $37 billion RV industry, just like every other U.S. industry, has experienced a bit of a sales slowdown during the current economic recession, RV shows are drawing record crowds. Industry watchers expect new RV sales to start rising as credit becomes more available. As in the auto industry, the impact of the tight credit market on buyers’ ability to obtain loans has been a stumbling block to new RV sales. However, used RV sales have remained strong, particularly at online sites like RVT.com. More buyers are turning to online RV sales sites to improve their purchasing power and selection beyond local resources. Visit RVT.com today to find out more about embracing the RV lifestyle.
Posted by Shawn Friesen | Vice President of RVT.com on Apr 08, 2009
When buyers visit RVT.com, they find hundreds of classified ads for RVs. As a seller, how can you make your ad stand out from the crowd? RVT.com offers sellers several ways to draw buyers’ attention to their RV classified ads. All of the following options can be selected in Step 1 of our easy step-by-step classified ad creation process.
Bold your ad. The least expensive option is to bold your classified ad. Bold black text stands out on the screen, giving your ad extra exposure for just $15 more than a standard ad. Bolding your classified ad text in red ink is even more eye-catching and costs only $20 more than running a standard ad.
Featured state search. If you want to target buyers who are specifically looking to purchase a RV in your state, it costs just $40 to designate your ad a Featured State Search Ad. Featured state search ads are shown in continuous rotation so that all featured ads receive premium exposure. When a buyer searches for RVs for sale in your state, your photo ad appears at the top of the list, ensuring that every buyer sees your ad first.
Featured homepage. To insure that your ad receives maximum buyer exposure, you’ll want to select Featured Homepage Ad when you create your RVT.com classified ad. When you select this $60 feature, your ad will appear on the RVT.com homepage and be the first thing seen by the more than 15,000 buyers and sellers who visit our site daily. Featured homepage ads are displayed on a rotational basis to ensure that each ad receives maximum exposure to RVT.com homepage visitors.
Posted by Shawn Friesen | Vice President of RVT.com on Apr 06, 2009
Regular tire inspections can increase the amount of time your RV spends on the road and out of the repair shop. Regularly checking tire pressure and inspecting tires for damage and wear will increase the mileage you get from a set of tires and improve your gas mileage while RVing.
Follow these tips to prevent tire trouble while RVing:
Pressure Check. Before every trip, check the tire pressure on all RV tires and your tow vehicle if you own a towable RV. Maintaining proper tire pressure saves fuel. Correct tire pressure in pounds per square inch (PSI) should be listed on the tire, or check your RV owner’s manual. PSIs are listed as “hot” or “cold” depending on whether the vehicle has been driven (hot) or allowed to sit and cool down (cold). For example, 85 PSI Cold means the tire gauge should register 85 when you check the pressure in the morning before you start out.
Climate can be a factor in tire pressure, too. Tires heat up and gain pressure while in motion. Hot weather makes pavement hotter, accelerating the process. To compensate, drop the pressure in each tire 5 pounds from the recommended PSI in hot climates.
Sidewall Check. Inspect sidewalls for obvious cracks or wear. While some minor cracking is normal, you should have deep or heavy cracking checked by a tire service professional. Keep an eye on spots that may have been rubbed thin against curbs.
Tread Check. Maintaining correct tire pressure will increase tread wear. Wear on the inside and outside of a tire indicates under inflation. Wear in the middle of a tire indicates over inflation. When wear is limited to the outside of tires, an alignment may be in order and you should have your RV checked by a tire service professional.
Posted by Shawn Friesen | Vice President of RVT.com on Apr 03, 2009
Other folks may be sidelining summer vacation plans or settling for staycations until the economy turns around, but not RVers. RVers are filling their gas tanks and marking their maps, planning to spend their summer months priming America’s economic pump. Others may be wallowing in doom and gloom, but RVers remain confident about the country’s future. This couldn’t be a better time to embrace the RV lifestyle!
In the latest biannual Campfire Canvas survey conducted by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), 55% of RV owners surveyed intend to use their RVs more this summer than last year, and 45% are considering another RV purchase. The majority (75%) of those polled plan to take more mini-vacations to sites closer to home. Spending time together as a family, escaping stress, and enjoying nature and outdoor activities headed the list of reasons families enjoy the RV lifestyle.
RV vacations aren’t affected by the high airline and motel rates that may ground many travelers this summer. Eighty-six percent of those canvassed by RVIA said RVing is the most affordable way to travel. A fourth of those polled said they save as much as 50% over fly/drive/hotel vacations, and three-quarters said they save at least 25%.
“RV travel continues to appeal to people looking to save money and cut costs,” said RVIA president Richard Coon in the April 2009 RVDA News Brief. “By having their homes-on-wheels with them, RV owners receive a bigger bang for their buck than other types of vacations offer.”
The majority of RV owners polled agreed that now is a good time to buy a RV. Not only does RVT.com have lots of great deals on new and used RVs, but under the new federal stimulus plan, buyers can deduct sales and excise taxes on the first $49,500 of a new motorhome purchase.
Posted by Shawn Friesen | Vice President of RVT.com on Apr 01, 2009
Spring is finally here. Boats are coming out of storage and taking up residence in docks and driveways ready for another enjoyable boating season. At RVT.com, we’ve found that many RVers are also avid boaters. North America’s leader in RV sales, RVT.com also allows you to easily sell or buy a boat online. Just visit the RVT.com homepage and click on ‘Place Boat Ad” in the left column. You’ll be instantly taken to our sister site, Boatline.com.
RVT.com makes it easy to sell your boat online. Boatline.com takes you through the sales process step by step.
Step 1. Select your ad options. Boatline gives you unlimited space to describe all your boat’s fabulous features. For one low price your ad runs until your boat is sold! For a few dollars more you can bold your ad or feature it on Boatline’s homepage or state listings.
Step 2. Create a free user account on our secure site. Your personal information is always safe with us. If you’re selling, buyers will contact you via email. If you’re buying, our Auto Notify service will alert you when a listed boat matches your criteria.
Step 3. Provide boat information. We provide helpful tips about information to include in your listing. There’s no word count limit; you can include as much information about your boat as you want.
Step 4. Payment. Pay by credit card on our secure site to instantly activate your ad. We also accept mail payments by check or money order.
Step 5. Add photos. With each Boatline.com ad you can add 12 free photos to your listing. Add an additional 12 photos for just a few dollars more. We make uploading your digital photos quick and easy. We can also accept photos sent via email or printed pictures sent via mail.
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