While dealerships are closing doors around the US, Canadian RV dealers say things aren't so bad up north. Some say that sales this year are around a par with last, in fact. Still, they want help from the government to smooth the sales ways.
Published reports on RV sales out east in Saskatchewan show over a 45% increase in sales in December/January of this year, compared to a year prior. From across the 'Great White North' RV show promoters are happily reporting in with glowing reports of great crowds which no man is practically able to number. What seems to be driving the boom?
Those practical Canucks are seeing the cost-effectiveness of RVing as opposed to hotel-vacationing. Canwest Publishing reports the story from one RV show where Rob Butler, his wife, and four children were trolling about, eyeballing pop-up rigs. Butler told Canwest, he couldn't stomach continuing to spend thousands on hotels and flights for an annual vacation in this economy."My family is so big, we're looking at other vacation options."
Butler has plenty of company, as the sales of everything from pop-ups to luxury motorhomes seem to be continuing. But that doesn't mean Canadian RV dealers aren't looking for help. If Johnny Canuck is the Canadian equivalent of Uncle Sam, Johnny had better think about getting his phone number de-listed. The Canadian Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association has gone public, saying the federal government needs to step up to the plate and help RV dealers get more access to credit to help customers secure financing for RV purchases. In a story published in today's The Canadian Press, dealer association president Michael Corte called on the crown for help. "Canada must take a bold step in addressing this credit as it relates to the RV industry,
