After surviving necrotizing pancreatitis, being hit by a truck at 65 on my bike and three major cancer surgeries…. We bought our camper to make memories. Life can be gone in the blink of an eye. Take time to enjoy it. Happy camping everyone and hug your loved ones ❤

Im too old to drive now, so I set up a two trailer RV park in my backyard. All my kids , grandkids, and great grand kids come and visit me weekly :)❤❤😂❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

My rig is a 2024. If I see a "Ten Year Rule" on a campground website, I won't do business with them. No one should, we campers need to stick together, top to bottom.

Just got back from our 2 month florida trip ( from Michigan ) We stayed at 2 what I call resort campgrounds ( pool, hot tube, paved roads, paved under rv and patio ) lots of trees and not too close to the next site....very nice!! We stayed for a month each place. 1st place was $1500, 2nd was 1200. Add to that $1000 for fuel there and back. Tatal $3700. Divide that by 60 days and its $61 per night. Remember it's including fuel. Where else can you go on vacation for $61 a day with transportation cost? We're retired, and the rv is paid for, and we understand not everyone is in our position, but we still consider it a value. The rest of this years camping trips are 1 to 2 weeks each and within 1 tank of fuel each. Have a Jesus filled day everyone Greg in Michigan

When I bought my RV, one of the things that shocked me was the lack of quality and accountability from the dealer and expectation of warranty fulfillment. I'm all for regulating the RV industry closer to the standard of the auto industry.

Would LOVE to hear more about any sub 25 feet "Class C" motorhomes etc - Grand Design or Otherwise. Separately - Definitely traveling with the Dog 😃 The BEST thing RV manufacturers could offer me is a way to monitor the internal temp of the RV remotely so that on the very rare times I can't bring him with me, I KNOW without having to buy a separate system that my furry friend is absolutely safe.

One thing I’ve seen that I really like is where 40 - 50% of the sites in a park are first-come and the rest are reservable.

We are state park, corp of engineers and national forest campers. We need dirt and space and relative quiet.

"I only have so many years to make memories with my kid, I can always make more money later". Very, very well said. I wish more people in the world would realize that thought in life itself. Maybe if people realized that all the anger and hate they spout only leads to more anger and hate. Josh, I bet you are a good dad and husband because you really seem to be a good man with a good head on his shoulders. I watch your videos for info, but i love the nerdisms... Thank you...

We're two year full-timers, so we don't stay in RV Parks who charge more than $50/night. We have seen the ten-year rule (it doesn't apply to us yet) and we have decided to go elsewhere. We stay in the US West, so take that for what its worth. It's appearing more commonly in AZ, and CO and WY. We have changed our camping style, and tend to go to a place one night at a time and then if we like it, spring for a week. We "never" make reservations, and seldom plan - weather is just too unpredictable, particularly in Spring. We don't dodge rain, but dodge hail, tornadoes, flooding and freezing weather for sure. At a result, the Number one thing we look for is cellular service. We just NEED it, if only for emergencies and weather prediction. Thank you for these updates. I have worked in sales, and in mfg, and I know just how difficult it is to do what you do.

The cost of camping has gone up. My parents actually sold their RV because they could no longer go as often as they wanted and decided that buying a second house was actually likely going to be the better investment in the medium term. RV costs up, camping costs up, maintenance costs up, parts issues, etc all played into the decision. My family has been RVers for generations (both my mom and dad’s sides). At this point, everyone has sold out. My wife and I would like to get into the RV space, but even going tent camping is becoming difficult because of supply and demand. I’m so excited that so many people have found the great outdoors! I’m sure the supply side will eventually catch up, but in the mean time folks are having to make tough calls.

Sometimes, I travel with my wife, but I always travel with my dog. In my motorized RV, he has no way to look outside without climbing on the furniture. He really has no adequate space for his food and water, and I had to buy a large rubber mat to avoid water spills on the floor. There should be an interior grill guard on the door to avoid torn screens. RV entrance steps are not pet friendly if your pet has arthritis. The angle is too steep for a conventional ramp and often I have to carry him in and out of the rig. There should be a way to tether a crate to secure it while traveling, rather than my Rube Goldberg approach.

I was turned away from an RV park in Mesa,AZ because my motorhome was over 10 years old. I had to send them a picture and they still turned me away. There was nothing wrong with the spake and vision of my 30' Winnebago. Yes, cancelling campground at the last minute should have a fee.

I rarely go to any campgrounds that take reservations because they’re always filled up. And from what I’ve heard, they’re not actually filled up with people, because people don’t bother to cancel. The cost of reservations for a lot of folks is so low at state parks that they just don’t bother to cancel and yeah, they book multiple weekends and wait for the weather. It’s BS. I wish it was just first come first serve and all of them. I’m on the spontaneity side.

The feedback you asked for: I travel with cats, and the answer is no. No vents in the floor is nice, but there is no good place for a litter box and food/water dishes. There often are openings that cats can get through into places they can't get out of. I have a nobo now and just had to take apart some panels to rescue a cat who had gotten through a tiny gap to the space under the slide.

Pet friendly... no carpet, ventless floor, built-in vacuum, seating (extra couch space or space for a pet bed) and the biggest thing is entry storage for everyone (a place for jackets, leashes, shoes, keys, sunglasses, wallet, poop bags).

Prices are ridiculously high. I refuse to camp in a formal campground and pay more than a hotel room.

I have friends with older motor homes and when age comes up, they send the campground a photo of their rig. They are extremely well maintained and look as good as or better than some newer motorhomes. They have never been turned away after the photo has been sent. So take care of your rig.

I live in Florida. I'll clarify. I'm born and raised in Florida. If you shop around, a "resort" is 60 to 70 a night full hook up. That has been pretty consistent for the past 4 years. In the winter, it's extremely difficult to find a spot as the snow birds have them booked. As such, prices are also higher in the winter months. State parks are cheaper but, again, unbookable from October through April.

We actually bought our practice rig from you, Josh, when you were at “the other place”. It was used, had flaws, cheap, but allowed us to discover our ability to go full time RVing. We’ve since went to a fifth wheel, and are very happy. We would not have known for sure, had we not bought that cheap used RV first.

regarding your question about dog-friendly RV features, I broke it down by Must Have, Nice to Have, and Not Necessary But Useful. I can think of a bunch more but i thing we spoil Sasha and Styles. Must-haves: - Easy-to-clean/disinfect flooring - Durable furniture, most of the RV furniture is cruddy IMO. something with stain-resistant fabrics would be ideal - Good ventilation - Leash tie-down - Storage space Nice to have: - Built-in dog kennel or crate, dog bed, & food/water - Pet shower station - Large windows - Built-in waggle-style sensor Not necessary but: - Mudroom or entryway - Fold-down dog ramp - Portable waste disposal system

First of all… thank you Josh for all the hard work you do for our benefit. We have been talking back and forth about trading the trailer but at this rates we are staying the corse for now. About camping, I try very hard to keep the reservations, only in case of health we don’t cancel but just move it further. About the disrespect of our treasured parks… it’s such a disappointment to see this generation deface beauty that’s been carved by nature for centuries…it all goes back to teaching the difference between right and wrong… and is obvious this people had poor role models in their lives. I feel a sadness about this subject like never before. I just hope my grandkids can have the privilege to enjoy it before is gone or taken away. Be safe and stay happy Josh. Thank you 🙏

As a pet owner, I would be thrilled if there was a dedicated enclosed pet area with a pet door (so they can go in and out freely, or be closed in if needed), that has it's own low-wattage climate control (heat and cooling), so that if I must leave them in there while I go grocery shopping or something, I don't need to worry that they'll get too hot or too cold, without needing to heat/cool the entire unit or leave the generator running while I'm not there to keep an eye on things. It must have a window so they can see outside while they wait.

Well said Josh! We really shouldn't have bought our travel trailers (as per many rv influencers) but we scrimped and budgeted so we could have the family memories with our boys and their friends. Would do it again in a heartbeat! We still camp, and our kids and their families still go with us. We started out tent camping and then went up to small trailers. Memories are everything!

Awesome report. I ALWAYS listen to your reports, reviews, whatever. Thank you for your comprehensive reports, I enjoys every one, I’m sure it takes a boatload of editing, and I for one appreciate your work

Great update! We book our campsites in advance. Sometimes it is 12 months, 6 months or less. Usually when we show up there are lots of empty sites. I think there may need to be stiffer penalties for no-shows. Also, our local county park has either 3 day inland or 7 day lakeside minimums. The park is usually only 50% full other than Friday and Saturday which is maybe 80% full. Many lakeside sites have unreservable dates because there may only be 4 or 5 available days. There are rules but there is also common sense. I have talked with everyone at the park but it is what it is. The other thing is people will book all the Friday and Saturday dates during the summer. Because of the liberal cancelation policy they can just cherry pick the dates they actually camp. They will also go check in friends and family for weeks they don't want to camp. I don't know how common this local county park situation is across the country. I have a feeling it may be occurring many other places.

When it comes to rangers, I really think it is a story of the haves and have nots. Acadia, Yellowstone, Zion all had so many rangers, I couldn't throw a stone without hitting one. But when you get to the lesser known parks, you have one for the entire park.

I don't know anyone else that can articulate all issues in critical thinking, but put all the information in a baseline conversation so everyone understands the different parts of rvs and campgrounds. Thank you for your industry imput and allowing the public to share.

Pets-yes , would love a built in sleeping area- under bed or under booth seats. Open and padded like a dog house. Grand Design? Yes, please follow up with photos.

You asked for imput on pet friendly RV's, so here's my 2 cents. We purchased a northern spirit 26rbh. No floor vents major selling point. Removed split lower bunk platform for placement of 2 bird cages so we can access cages easily. Great area under queen bed for doggie beds. ( we travel w/2 puppies, 3 parrots, and a 50 lb. Desert tortoise. ) We absolutely love this unit and really I can't think of anything else to improve it. Also, we bought a small Hideout during covid from Bullyan Duluth and can honestly say I'm proud to support this group!

I think the reason cheap travel trailers are selling so much is because so many new vehicles now come with higher tow ratings. So you no longer need to buy a dedicated tow rig that you would need to drive daily. So that means a lower cost of entry if you can just keep your family suv and use that to tow.

the RV industry is responsible for most of this mess it should NOT take months to fix their shoddy workmanship ..it's amazing to me that they are allowed to mess around until their so called warranty has run out and your stuck having to pay for things that should have been covered and repaired in a timely fashion under warranty ...love your video's Josh keep up the good work

Furry family needs: entry steps that are shallower and deeper. My lab nearly broke his legs because he never got his hind feet to follow within the step width of where his front feet went. The steps were too slick for his dirty feet too.

I bought my rv from Bullyan RV two years ago. I think I'll drop by and say thank you for being community supportive again. I did not know this until watching your segment even though I live in Duluth. Thank you too.

Josh, we have one of those halloween skeletons we put behind the wheel of our vehicle we tow and velcro his hands in the 10 & 2 position on the steeting wheel. Lol. Love your channel.

totally agree that there should be penalties for cancellation, also think that even places like state parks should require an up-front non-refundable deposit on all reservations. I think that with such fees in place there would be a lot more availability.

Josh thanks for another update. Always very informative. Regarding campground costs, I googled and located a KOA campground that was the closest to where our daughter & family lives and found $80/night with full hookups. We stayed at a hotel within the same distance of our daughter's house in early December, that was $51/night w/breakfast. RVing to that destination make no sense. Still looking for other opportunities to justify an RV purchase.

We took an extended trip down south (Live in Cincinnati) in our Class B van. Campgrounds in Charleston, SC and Ashville, NC were both abut 90% full. Both campgrounds offer quite a few spaces for long term or monthly rentals. I think that is part of the congestion. Many campers may be staying close to home and renting a spot for several months. We also camped during the eclipse and the campground was full. The state park we were in allow for one day camping you had to book at least two nights for the eclipse. Many people left right after the event and got stuck in horrendous traffic jams. Camping prices we have experienced are not to bad. Anywhere in the $40 to $65 range. State parks are always a great bargin. We camp quite regularly in Ohio and Kentucky State Parks. Facilities are nice and clean. A number of the parks have spent money on upgrades (new paved pads, individual showers and bathrooms. Ohio State parks have a system for seniors to get half price on camping during the weekdays. Thanks again for your monthly reports always very enlightening. You are one of the few voices of credibility on the Internet

In response to the question about costs, yes it hurts. I'm exceptionally lucky to have a very high paying job I can work remote, and my wife and I jumped into the RV lifestyle with both feet in large part because we both love camping but wanted something that was a sort of split between hotel and camp life. The costs of trucks, RVs, fuel, food, and campgrounds have all jumped so much that the only reason we have stuck around is because we love it so much. I don't think RV camping is currently the "low cost" option it used to be, in part because of the number of folks like myself that have recently jumped into it. I do think that like everything, these things come in waves. I talk with a lot of people that have started to realize it's not what they wanted it to be, and I think that in time a lot of the "covid RVers" will have moved on to more traditional vacations due to a number of factors. Hopefully that will result in cheaper campground costs, and more spaces available at more times.

Pet Friendly-remote temperature monitoring system, built in vacuum, entryway storage for leashes, no carpet.

We are the Venezia's we have followed you for the last 2 years and we love your commentaries on the latest trends and products. What we found is that if you stay away from the luxury. Campgrounds ie; Disney style $75 and up per night, you know the ones I'm talking about. Rather visit the ones that have a pool, camp store, club house tends to be the more affordable ones $25 per night. Then there is boondocking. Make sure if you choose that option, make sure you have the fresh water, gray and black tank capacity. Those can be free. But whatever option you choose RVing is the best way to get away and meet some great people!

I would love to see RVs with a sturdy bottom half of the screen door that can be obscured. Our Yorkies go nuts if they are in the trailer and can see other dogs go by- if it was obscured they would be fine. We have had to add a panel because a towel or sheet doesn’t cut it.

You look too young to remember Schoolhouse Rock. My fave was Conjunction Junction and now that tune will be in my head for days 😂

You asked for feedback. Here's mine. Litter box space would be nice. Somewhere hidden away would great. Thanks for all the info you provide, always enjoy your videos.

There definitely should be a stiff penalty for late cancellation or no -shows. It is a particularly bad problem with the State parks in MI!!

Stairs going up to the beds in class C + B campers! For LG. and Sm. Dogs. Should be included!

School House Rock! What a throw back Josh! Only you can think of random things and somehow connect it to RV's and/or camping.

Josh, we watched you when we were looking at campers, and you helped us tremendously. We bought it a year ago, and I’m still watching you a year and a half later, and really appreciate all you do. I hope you realize the impact you have on people’s lives. I was cruising KZfaq and saw you had an interview with 2 krazy campers, can’t wait to see that. I’m torn on the cancellation fees. State parks allow you to change your reservation with no charge which is one way to handle it, probably would not work in the private sector? National parks only charge a $10 cancellation fee, so I call that cheap travel insurance. In private campgrounds I don’t think that would work, but if they’re holding a spot for you and you cancel last minute, they lose money. The hotel industry does some kind of if you cancel within a certain time, you lose. Maybe some blend like, charge you one night rent as a penalty for late cancellation? As far as the person in the trailer going down the road, I’ve always heard it is illegal in a towable. Maybe the rv industry could help educate people on some basics since common sense has LEFT THE BUILDING, LOL.

For the items manufacturers could add to their RVs I think, feeding bowls someplace to maybe slide in and out and cubby spaces for the dog or cat

A big reason for moving to a small class A, was lack of spaces for our 5th wheel. At 31 ft now, we fit in most state parks. At 40 ft we really were restricted from most state parks. State parks aare not big rig friendly, as a general rule. Upscale campgrounds more often enforce the 10 year rule . Went to 1 resort park where the rule had been set by the courts to protect adjacent land owners.

We RV BECAUSE we like bringing our pups where we travel. Theater seats and dinettes are less pet friendly than say.....a bigger couch. A HUGE reason we ordered an Ember was the MSL door on the camp side so the dogs can see us by the fire. It's less about including dog bowls and more about where the dog beds might go.....

Thanks Nerd! As a pet owner - the pet dish bowl drawer not useful. My dogs DRINK/eat when they want to, so that drawer would have to stay out ALL the time. Perfect thing for me to kick off the tracks when not watching. Now Grand Design's folding pet bowel - better!! Up higher for my tall dogs and I usually see it in floor plans out of the way for me knocking into it. I do wonder how it would hold up to me knocking into it or the dogs playing and running into it. Hope they sell them as individual parts since I have several dogs. Most pet owners have to buy aftermarket monitoring systems to make sure not broiling/freezing their pets when going places they can't take their pets. Some manufacturers are making blue-tooth command panels. Can these be combined with the WiFi as an upgrade? I really think not currently, but that would be next level pet friendly.

Josh with the "state of the union" address. I love these!

In answer to the question what pet owners would like to see? We have cats and there’s no good place to put a litter box. We also have a bird and it would be nice to incorporate a wall area where you could put a cage. There isn’t an ounce of extra space to do either of those two things.

Great job on this months update! I look forward each and every month to hear about the RV Industries news, Thanks again and take care Josh😊.

Yes, there are plenty of "snooty" parks that won't allow an RV older than 10 years regardless of type and some don't allow vans or pop ups at all regardless of year. We were turned away for our travel trailer being "too short". They claimed they didn't want the park to look like a campground.

I have seen my favorites RV Parks double in price per night in the last 3 years.

as an Australian who's RV industry revolves around many outdated ideas, i am very jealous of what you have there. i would love to see a wider viewing of all the different styles both towable and motorised. i would also say that the YT family Grateful Glamper, have had that very experience in their motorised RV of being told it was too old to be allowed, but have also had other places inspect their motorhome to see if it was up to par before being allowed entry. they are also aware of the growing difficulties of booking sites. here in Australia, a town that i once lived, would see an influx of generational campers from November through to May, which would see a small community triple in size each year. the council had to destroy beachside environment to increase the amount of camping, and revenue, without ever addressing the other flow on issues. as for the issue of comparable travel costs. we have those seasonal and weekend price fluctuations. though the off-peak prices are very similar, peak pricing however is a very different beast. keep up the great work, and I'll see you on the next walk through.

Hi Josh and all! Yes please keep ear to the ground of motorized grand design progress, thanks!

Josh! You da RV NERD!! Of course you (and we) want to cover this new branch of Grand Design RV product portfolio!! Go for it!!

Late fee 100%. Should be first night is nonrefundable if canceling reservations 7 days before arrival.

Fuel prices are a roller coaster. 1-2 weeks ago diesel was $3.14 and jumped to $3.50 over night. It has dropped to 3.25 as of today and by lunchtime dropped again¡¡¡ in TEXAS

I'm of the opinion campground no-show penalties should be *more* than the campground fee. Like a security deposit that gets refunded if you show or cancel with a week notice. There are a lot of people for whom the campground cost is insignificant compared to everything else (vacation time, gas, etc) and the best way to solve the problem is by causing some financial pain. Also the site should be made available after checkout time on the next day after no show (and the CG should still get to keep the entire duration reservation fee for their trouble).

At campgrounds here in the PNW we're seeing lots of smaller trailers that can be pulled with an SUV or a small truck. We've also noticed younger couples seem to have the fancier/newer camper vans.

As far as costs, we are pretty much exclusively camping at state parks here in Indiana. Price is really good too. But the best part is we are not cramped. Lots of space between sites. And, the 14 day length limit has its benefits also.

Yes, there definitely should be a penalty for no show campers! I live in Florida and it is a shame to go to State Parks and see the empty sites. People book and due to the low cost, don't show and just eat cost. The State Park reservation site will not release sites for the duration of reservation. Therefore, sites sit vacant even though it shows no vacancies on site. I think it should be like a hotel here in Florida, you don't show first night, cost forfeited and if you don't show by first night checkout time your reservation is cancelled and room is released for others to enjoy! It can be very difficult to secure sites, especially state parks here in Florida and very frustrating to see sites vacant.

Once again a very informative video thank you. Our pups are a part of the family and travel with us they love a good vacation too. I do have a suggestion for a pet friendly modification that others might agree with. Full screen door are great for ventilation but some type of protection at the lower quarter of the door would be nice and prevent the occasional pet screen accident.

See a lot of empty, but reserved campsites whenever we go camping. and I agree there should be some kind of charge for not cancelling your reservation within 48 hours. Give others a chance! Just selfish... Rarely do you find anything for pets in an RV. Have to keep the dogs dishes by the fridge and her bed has to be in the middle of the floor and she is a medium sized dog. Not real fond of little dogs.

I think it’s reasonable for parks to charge a cancellation fee within a week of the date. This will cut down on the "broadcast style reservers" taking lots of spots. It all comes down to basic courtesy, and that should be standard.👍😊

I prefer National Forest , corp of Engineers, state park campgrounds. I do want hookups. I don't care about amenities such as pool, waterslide etc. We do stay in KoAs when traveling with friends, I think they are ridiculously expensive.

Thanks Josh for what you do! Love these videos

A place for a cat/litter box for sure!! Would be nice if it was a hidden away place maybe in the under bed area, or under a side table…not sure of the solution.

Thank you for the kind words Josh!

Ive been saying this, rv sales will continue to drop, prices are to high by alot. Intrest rates are to high. Campground prices are crazy high so im thinking smaller rigs are popular due to easier to boondock with. People just dont have money and with high cost and high intrest rates even financing isnt affordable. And then there is fuel prices and that slows down all road travel.

I have owned a 2007 Jayco Motorhome in good condition for 5 years and I have never been turned away from any park even when they have a older camper policy

I greatly appreciate your presentations. It's been many years since my wife and I have owned an RV, 15 to be exact. Now I'm considering purchasing another that would serve a single old individual. Tons of things have changed and improved, for sure. Not only designs, etc. but the costs also. Your addressing the costs of campgrounds is one of those things along with the fuel costs. The information you are providing is helping update my knowledge considerably. Thanks!

Informative update, no bones about it! Thanks for adding some humor and lightness in with the dark.

I agree - bought a fifth wheel to roam around alone as I saw fit - you can't do that - you have to have reservations and plan ahead. I sold my fifth wheel and am in the process of selling my f250 - I'm done with RV camping for a while, possibly permanently.

Great content, as usual. Just finished our first trip of the season, incluing $6.43 gas in Cali, terrible, axle bending pavement on I-8/I-10, but its still the best way to get away. Thanks, Josh!

We got our first trailer this year to upgrade from tent camping, largely so we can more easily boondock for free. Park camping doesn't appeal to me because the fees and fuel costs end up being more than a hotel, especially since I can play with points for hotels and largely stay for free. I looked into one and it was $80 a night for basic hookups and we just have a 20ft trailer, I just don't see the appeal for that cost and effort.

Thank you Josh! As always, great update. Really puts things in perspective. And yes, being older than you... Make those memories now. There is no better time and you're not guaranteed more opportunities later. ❤

Thank you for your honesty sir. Wishing you a very prosperous year in the business. Happy Camping!

As an rver that does not have a pet, but has had pets most of my life....I would suggest that they make pet friendly additions to RVs optional. For non pet owners, we wouldn't want space used for something that we would not need. Or make the space convertible for other uses? We do not, currently, have pets due to the, often, inconvenience of taking them along; from them not being allowed on national park hiking trails, to keeping them comfortable in the RV when we're not there.

Hi Josh! Thanks for all this info. So, living in New England I can tell you that prices keep going up and trying to get a reservations is a full time job in and of itself. Our season is pretty short so if you don't jump on it in early January, it is slim pickings. We prefer more remote, off the beaten path locations which is why getting our boondocking capacity up to snuff a priority. Appreciate your work as always! Barret P.S. As you can see we have 4 dogs who travel with us. I have seen some 5th wheels w/dog bowls built into kitchen cabinetry which is nice. Leash hooks/D rings on exterior of units would be great! Thanks for including we pet owners ❤

Love the video today! Thank you for the monthly update! Have a good day, Josh!

I would love to see you compile an RV leaderboard by type and luxury level. Your ratings guide that you adjust with each review. Like Top Gear used to do with their hot lap. Rate the RVs so people can get a quick look at what the best choices are at each level.

I’m 60 years old and just purchased a 2024 Coleman 17b bunkhouse. It’s small and compact and lightweight. My 2012 Jeep Liberty 🗽 can tow without a problem. I only pay $550.00 a month at a private RV park in Las Vegas. Just left a new 55 and over community. 🤗

Thanks Uncle Josh! Also hope the Park Rangers will be able to identify the perps. The rule, take only pictures and leave only footprints!

We have a friend that was turned away at a park. Was told his camper looked too old. He was going to renovate it so thought that was the time to do it. Looks pretty sharp on the outside now.

Good talk. Just returned from a trip visiting elderly family members back in the Midwest. I was reminded of why we won't move back the couple of nights the campground water was shutoff for overnight temps in the 20's. Here at home we've been running our AC for a couple of weeks now and didn't expect to go back to winter weather. Our type of winter weather at least. I think the RV industry needs some regulation. From a customer's perspective it has been run too loose to the point that it is too easy to pass the buck and not resolve the customer's problems. While the RV industry might not like the regulation there is no valid argument that they should not be treated and run like other consumer facing franchises such as automobiles. I think there are other reasons some folks decide against a motorhome beside cost. If you carry a TOAD you aren't saving any hookup and disconnect time and in some cases it will actually take longer to hookup the TOAD than it does a travel trailer. Another is finding camping spots. It is generally easier to find a camping spot for a travel trailer and its tow vehicle than a say Class As which tend to favor longer lengths. Class Cs tend to favor shorter lengths but the space and layouts are frequently not as nice or livable as a similar sized travel trailer. They also have parking issues if you don't have a TOAD and have to use the RV for local transportation. I think interest rates will drop later this year but it isn't going to be in large jumps in order to not re-stimulate inflation. I also don't think you will see rates get as low as they were before the FED started tightening as they need some room to stimulate the economy in a future recession. My gut feeling is rates will end up being closer to the pre 2008 historical average once the FED is done with its work. I think the reason Grand Design is pulled out by itself is they are the only Winnebago brand that offers a 5th wheel. With Thor and FR it is easier to aggregate their brands for reporting purposes. I know of some parks that treat motorhomes the same as trailers on the 10 year rule. We don't keep a trailer that long nor have we ever visited a park that asked. Gas prices didn't affect our decision to head up to the Midwest (Northern Illinois). If you want to travel you pay the price one way or another. I was surprised though to find some places where diesel was less than regular unleaded gas. Prices we've paid on our recent trips were a little higher at the private campgrounds we usually stay at but not by a whole lot. About $5 - $10 per night. At state campgrounds the costs are pretty much the same as they have been for the past 10 years. On the rare occasion we stay at hotels we typically go to higher end brands so campgrounds tend to be less expensive. However once you figure in the cost of the trailer even high end hotels are less expensive than camping. I've probably said this before but we don't camp when traveling as a cost savings measure but more for the personal space and privacy we have with the trailer. We miss the spontaneity of making the decision a few days before going to a nearby state campground. You had to work in a Rick roll didn't you? My understanding is the GD Class C is slated for release this summer. I know it is using a Mercedes chassis but that is about it. I'd like to see a walk-through to see what they did and maybe see if any of it might make it into their trailer line.

27:49 Josh's "Squirrel!" moment 😂 !

Multiple times in the southwest when trying to reserve a camp site I ha e been asked the age of my trailer only to find upon arrival the camp ground was run down and ill maintained. Go figure.

I always have my dog with me while camping and to answer your question about pets I feel the rv industry has much need for improvement especially the safety aspect.... like alarm messaging to your phone if the ac/ heat would have an issue (fault code or something) also alerts for smoke detectors going off etc.

Here in Oregon for the state parks you have to be Johnny on the spot at 6AM six months in advance to get an RV spot for the summer. I have a small (13 ft) trailer and have thought a bigger one would be nicer but competition to get the bigger RV spots is so cut throat where the shorter sites are more readily available because nobody wants them because their trailers are too long for them, and since we only use the trailer to sleep in, we cook and live outside when we're camping, it seems the best option just to have the opportunity to even go.

Well, a couple of things come to mind. The first is regarding the campgrounds with the happy bear. They are not the only ones that have jumped on the money train and have raised their prices, as you have noted. I have an old business acquaintance that was in the car business, and he used to remind me “that pigs get fat, but hogs get eaten”. So, with some of these campgrounds that have doubled their prices that too will come to an end. As far as holding money on reservations goes, I find that an issue. We try to book out a couple of weeks when we can and of course if you are coming to FL over the winter you need to have a reservation way ahead of time. That is understandable. Even then, if you are not hell bent on staying in any particular city on one particular day there really isn’t much of an issue getting a site. But motorhomes do sometime have an issue that comes up, like a “check engine light”. As you are aware you just don’t show up at the local Freightliner or Spartan dealership and get same day service. So how can I possibly keep a schedule when that happens. Besides if the industry is doing so good then they really shouldn’t have any issue with rebooking the site to someone else. Remember “that pigs get fat, but hogs get eaten”. There will come a day when they wish they had treated folks a bit kinder. KOA comes to mind. So, you rent a campsite and it is for two adults, I understand that. My hotel room is the same way. But if I wanted to have you and your wife up to my room to play cards one evening, the hotel doesn’t charge me $5 for each of you. Yet KOA does. Again, I understand if you and your wife come over to the KOA with three kids and use the pool and all of the other facilities, claiming as guest to my site, but to come to my motorhome and play cards or eat dinner that is ridiculous.

Thanks for all the great info, Uncle Josh! In regard to pet feedback...we actually purchased our travel trailer for our dogs, so we could actually go places and bring them along. It would be nice to have some swaptions like a second sofa, maybe a jackknife instead of a table & booth. A place to attach tv style tables on the bottom of said sofa or theater seating. We have one BR with an rv Queen size, my hubby sleeps there with one dog and I sleep on the table with the other. The table is always in the down position for the dogs otherwise we would be tripping over them.

As far as camp site availability the southeast has plenty plenty of sites especially in the fall and spring. Mississippi has very nice state parks and available. Gulf state park , Alabama only had to reserve a month before. Alabama also plenty of available state park spots.

Yes we are interested in any information that you can share with us about motorized campers coming down the pike. Thanks for all the information you give us. ❤❤❤

We appreciate all you do too keep us all informed, thank you!!!

I live in Canada, we have an over 10 yo pull behind, we keep it up well. We travel to US yearly and have found that RV sites restrict age of RV to stay, this can be a challenge. Also, we lost a hub last year and a big RV dealer were basically not willing to help get us back on the road saying they couldnt find an axle, we lost spindle as we had to pull it off freeway to dealership. I called an mobile repair company, they had an axle within 12 hours and had us back up ans going, yes we paid double what we should have, but we were 4 days away from home. We are now considering getting rid of our trailer so we do not have to deal with possible issues in past. Dealers need to realize people traveling do not have 3 weeks to wait to get repaired.